Happy New Year

Let’s just jump on this bandwagon....hindsight is 20/20. Looking back on any experience is always perfect vision.

I think it’s safe to say there’s more of us than not, who are more than ready to see 2020 out. I also think it’s more important than ever, moving in to a new year, to reflect on what went well. For some that might be a short list but if you’re still here, that in itself is a lot to be glad for. And even if it is a short list, that beats not having a list at all.

Every year I put together a photo book for us. Memories from the previous year that we snapped photos of as we moved from month to month. When I showed it to Husbeast to preview he said “that makes 2020 look pretty good.”

We learned a lot from 2020 about resilience, patience, the importance of family and friends, the importance of good overall health, how to adjust, how to go without and how to appreciate what we have.

Travel plans got canceled but we learned what to appreciate about home.

Grocery shopping taught us that toilet paper is a popular item and people prioritize the weirdest items while leaving fresh produce on the shelves.

We learned how valuable and meaningful smiles, handshakes and hugs are.

We lost a lot in 2020; family members, favorite musicians, favorite pets, but that also gave us time to reflect on memories with each of them.

We learned that ranch life and social distancing kind of go hand in hand.

Kids learned how much they actually like school and parents learned how much they appreciate teachers.

Above all things we learned that the show must go on. We had to bare down and make do. Standing here on the brink of a new year, I’m okay looking back on 2020. Through the hardships of the year, the lessons, if we chose to see them, were quite valuable. I know I’ll practice more gratitude and share more kindness and put more effort into overall health moving forward. I’ll lean a little harder on faith and worry a little less about things overall.

Husbeast has said it numerous times and I’ve repeated it verbatim....”it’ll buff out. It always does.”

So whatever you do to ring in 2021, I hope you choose faith over fear, joy over anger, love over hate and persistence in all things. I hope the silver lining in your clouds shines as bright as the sun and storms that do pass are short lived.

Go ahead and flip 2020 the bird if you’d like, but don’t look back after that. Face 2021 with a smile. The show must go on...

Happy New Year!