I see you, Mama. This year was not what you thought. It wasn’t for me, either. One year ago, you dreamed of all that 2020 would hold. You released the stress of 2019 and hoped for a new dawn in 2020. You desperately reached out for the light that a new chapter would bring. And then the world fell apart. For some of us, our personal world was crumbling before the rest of the planet joined in. For some of us, the pandemic swept us into quarantine with our child(ren) that shut our minds down in unimaginable ways. Isolation, lack of help, severely limited resources, economic loss, loss of community and socialization, etc. Some of us had babies during or directly prior to the pandemic, some of us had to learn to be teachers, some of us had to embrace relational issues as we had more time together with our loved ones, and some of us had to fight for our lives. But every day, EVERY DAY, we had to choose life. I know there are times when some of us thought we wouldn’t live to the end of the year. But you, and me, we kept fighting. And friend, I am so, so proud of you! This year challenged us all to dig deep and survive unimaginable situations. And you have so much strength and knowledge from this experience to carry into tomorrow. So lift your head high and embrace all the uncertainty of the upcoming year, because you have everything you need inside of you to keep pressing on. Thank you for choosing your life — the world needs you!
To all of the spouses, support people, family, friends, et al that have been along for this ride — thank you. Your year has not been any easier. In fact, there might have been more stress as you navigated mental and physical health struggles of loved ones, but you stood strong and facilitated life for us. We love you and praise God for you.
Happy New Year!
~Sarah