I’m saving my proper “year in review” post for the last week of December. That’s the one where I look back at the goals I set and what I managed to accomplish, including some highlights from the blog. Today, I thought I’d go on a bit of a rambling meditation (apologies in advance), reflecting on the year that was. After reading through this, I encourage you to do the same. Write it down, even if you don’t plan on publishing or sharing it anywhere.

Making It Work in 2020

On balance, and I don’t mean this as any sort of humblebrag, 2020 was a net positive for me. Absolutely, this year has been very rough for a great number of people. I don’t want to diminish that. It’s hard not being able to spend time with loved ones. We’ve missed going out to try new restaurants or attending various blogger/media type events. But, reflecting back on 2020 as a whole, I have a lot to be thankful for.

These are above and beyond the silver linings many of us can carry with us, moving forward into 2021. They’re personal and specific.

For starters, I’ve made some rather big advancements in my career. For years, as you may well know, I’ve made my living as a freelance writer and editor. That’s still a part of my professional life, but it’s become a much smaller part. Since the end of March, I’ve been the “content chief” of WordFinder by YourDictionary. I’ve been freelancing with parent company LoveToKnow Media since 2006. The relationship changed to employer-employee last fall, then I shifted to this new role this past spring.

Without getting into the finer details, this bigger role has meant taking on more responsibility. Beyond the usual writing and editing I’ve been doing for years, I’m much more involved in “higher level” strategy. This will continue to build as we enter 2021. The work can be challenging and stressful at times, of course, but it has also granted a rewarding sense of progress. It’s less about ticking boxes and more about moving forward.

I still work from home. It just means there are more Zoom meetings, just like so many other people these days.

A Growing Family

And, of course, we welcomed baby Max into our lives. Needless to say, he’s a huge blessing (and I’m not religious). Ever since I was little, I’d always assumed I’d get married and have two kids one day. It felt like a given. Now, that prophecy, so to speak, has come to pass.

All the usual newborn frustrations (and sleep deprivation) aside, Max has been terrific. He babbles in “conversation” with me, smiles at my silly faces. It fills my heart, watching him grow, develop and learn new skills. Baby snuggles are the best. I feel incredibly fortunate that I was able to take a few weeks off with paid parental leave. It’s an incredible privilege, and one that I value greatly.

My relationship with Max’s older sister continues to mature too. She’s a first-grader now and she is 100 percent her own person. Our interactions are richer, more nuanced, more complex. We play Mario Kart together. Her reading and math skills continue to blossom. It’s really amazing how much she has learned in the past year.

The Struggle Is Real

But, as in all things, there is balance. So, unsurprisingly, we had to deal with some challenges and frustrations too. I wasn’t able to attend midwife and ultrasound appointments with Max, for example.

Several things started falling apart and needing repairs too. The boiler in our house went on the fritz, so we had no heat for a week. The repair wasn’t cheap. The torrential rainfall was too much for the gutter on our garage. It broke and had to be repaired. The car wouldn’t start, so I had to deal with that. My mom’s computer monitor stopped working too, so I gave her one of mine in the interim until we got a replacement.

And then, there’s the pandemic, of course, which threw a wrench in everything. Pandemic parenting meant figuring out temporary virtual homeschool for several months. We had to be creative with activities to keep her occupied, engaged and as happy as can be reasonably expected. All of us had to adapt constantly to new procedures, guidelines and expectations. We all had to figure it out as we went, staring into the vastness of the unknown.

Reflecting Back, Looking Forward

It’s been a year. You already know that. And I fully recognize that I haven’t had to face many of the same challenges as you might have. That said, I’m cautiously optimistic about what 2021 might bring. We have these glimmers of silver linings, and we can choose to build on those. Less FOMO. More reflecting on what really matters most to us. Progress.

We just have to keep treading water, keep moving forward. It helps if we keep some floaties handy.