Hindsight is 2020

“I’m beginning to think that the phrase ‘hindsight is 20/20’ was a message from a future time traveler that we all misunderstood.” Unknown

Do I really want to look back at 2020? Wouldn’t it just be best to forget all about it? After all, every single day has been like listening to a broken record that keeps repeating all the bad things that have happened this year. 

As we finish this crazy and wacky year, I would like to reminisce, not about all the bad things, but about the blessings that we have received. Yes, even amidst the darkest days, there were moments when the stars were shining bright. After all, it is in the darkest night when we can best see the brightest stars. 

This year brought a lot of new babies. I have a lot of friends and cousins that became grandparents for the first time this year, and a few others that added new grandchildren to their flock. Those babies are by far the biggest blessing of 2020. 

As far as weddings, 2020 was quite wacky. I know so many couples that had to postpone their special day, not once but twice. In the end, many opted for the ceremony even if they had to postpone the reception. They will be able to tell their children and grandchildren for years to come that they got married in the midst of the 2020 coronavirus pandemic. 

We learned to appreciate what truly matters. We realized that having a lot of material things is not as important as having health; having a lot of money is not as important as being alive; luxuries are not our possessions but our family and friends; we learned that a hug and a kiss from a loved one is worth more than all the gold in the world; and we realize now that being able to breathe without a mask is a luxury that we took for granted.

We had to reinvent ourselves in 2020. Most of us learned what a “zoom” meeting is, and this brought us more international connections. We learned to work from home, and in the process, realized how much time we used to waste commuting and in pointless meetings. Parents became teachers, and are now masters at multi-tasking because they had no choice but to balance work and a toddler at the same time. We also learned to place more value on teachers and what they provide for our children.

We discovered the resilience of the human spirit. Yes, this year brought a lot of suffering and grief, but we learned to move forward beyond our pain. And we learned to reach out to others in need. I have been in touch with many more people than in past years, maybe not face-to-face but I have reached out to them either through social media, zoom, WhatsApp or by phone. I have prayed for friends, family and complete strangers. And when it was our family’s turn to experience health issues, we received countless messages and phone calls from those same friends and family, as well as prayers from them and from complete strangers.

We found more time for ourselves in the solitude. We have become masters at organization, having our houses tidier than they’ve ever been. We were able to read that book that we had been putting off for lack of time. We learned to enjoy a good movie without interruption. We found time to play with our children and our spouses. We began to cherish our houses and turn them into homes. We were able to have dinner earlier and therefore sleep longer. In the midst of the stress the world was experiencing, we learned to relax. 

We saw people shine bright in the midst of crisis, especially the frontline workers. Even while under-protected, they showed true compassion, courage and empathy towards those under their care. People opened their hearts and their wallets to help those in need. My church has a pantry to help families in need. They used to help about 50 families. The count is now close to 200 families, but donations keep pouring in and every week they can provide meals to all these families that are struggling financially.

We made time to pray. Many persons whose faith had become stagnant, returned to God in 2020. They began to pray, first for family members that became sick, then for friends, and eventually, without even realizing it, they were praying on a regular basis, and their relationship with God strengthened.

Without a doubt, everyone will remember 2020 as a tragic year, but every cloud has a silver lining. In spite of the sadness and grief, if we really take a look in hindsight, we have also received a lot of blessings. This is what I’m trying to focus on as I bid good-bye to 2020 and ring-in 2021.

Copyright © 2020 Christy Romero. All rights reserved.