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.

2020 has turned me into a homey

“If they just called it the ‘stay at home challenge’ and posted it on social media, things would be completely back to normal by now.” The Super Mom Life

“Let’s go for a walk at Las Olas.”

“Do we have to?”

A couple of years ago, I would have probably been the one to say the first sentence and my hubby would have replied with the second one. But on Sunday, it was the other way around. I was still in my PJs, enjoying the movie “White Christmas” on Netflix, when the hubby came up with the great idea to go to Las Olas. The pre-2020 me would have jumped with excitement, but 2020 has turned me into a homey, and I just wanted to stay home to finish watching the movie. 

I have friends that like to eat dinner very early, like around 5 pm. I used to make fun of them. I would tell them all the time, “you guys have become a couple of senior citizens.” Every time we went on a cruise together, they wanted the early sitting and we wanted the late sitting. The other day, my friend called me at 8, and she said, “I waited to call you because I know you have dinner around 7.” I started laughing and told her that I had turned into her: “We are now having dinner at 5, like you guys. This is what staying home has done to us. We have joined the senior citizens club.”

Turning into a homey has made staying home during the pandemic more bearable. I can be happy staying home reading a good book, watching a movie, playing Rummikub or doing a puzzle. I can find many ways to entertain myself. However, having a balance is also very necessary because life happens outside my four walls. 

The thing that I miss the most is my community of friends and family that I can’t see as often as I would like, and when I do see them we have to be wearing masks and keeping our distance. I am not a very hugging or touching kind of person, but when 2020 began, I made a list of 20 resolutions. Two of these resolutions were: “I will spend less time on social media and more time face-to-face with those that truly matter,” and “I will hug my loved ones more.” Obviously, 2020 had the last laugh because by the third month of the year, those two resolutions had to be thrown out the window. And never in my life have I felt like hugging someone more than this year.

Therefore, as much as I sometimes just want to stay home, I miss my people. I miss spending face-to-face time with those I love. I miss hugging them. I miss going to my “live” Bible classes. I miss sitting down in a packed movie theater. I miss going to a full church on Christmas morning and holding hands to pray the “Our Father.” I miss giving the sign of peace to others by shaking their hands or kissing those I know, instead of waving from afar. I miss going to a crowded mall where I have to avoid bumping into people not for fear of catching a virus but because there is practically not enough room to walk.

I did allow the hubby to convince me to get out of the house on Sunday, and we went to Las Olas. It was not as crowded as it normally would have been at this time of year, but there were quite a number of people, and most of them, without masks.  Of course, this made me want to run back home, but we stayed. We walked around, wearing not one but two masks, and avoiding people as much as we could. We took a stroll down the River Walk, and ended up sitting at a cafe, outdoors, of course. We enjoyed a glass of wine and some tapas, while watching the boats cruise down the river and the people promenading with their dogs, their kids, or their loved ones.

For a couple of hours, we were able to forget that we are still living a pandemic nightmare. And that is why, for 2021, I am only making one resolution: “I will push myself out the door and stop being the homey I have become.” Life keeps happening and people keep enjoying it, despite COVID-19. I will take precautions, but I will not stop living for fear of catching “the virus.” I will get out of my comfort zone and enjoy the great outdoors, because after all, we do live in a town with the most amazing weather during the winter. So I vow that 2021, will return me to enjoy being “out-of-the-house.“

Copyright © 2020 Christy Romero. All rights reserved.

A Few of my Favorite Things

“When I’m feeling sad, I simply remember my favorite things and then I don’t feel so bad.” The Sound of Music

This week I have been feeling a little blue. I started thinking about Christmas, my favorite holiday, and it made me sad that this year we will be apart from most of our family. Rafi and Emily will be spending it in New York. Alex and Keely in Kentucky. And just like on Thanksgiving, the extended family will separate into smaller groups to minimize the spread of Covid-19. For me, Christmas is about gathering with friends and family, going to mass together, exchanging gifts and sharing a meal together. This year, we will not be able to gather. I haven’t even started decorating simply because I have not been in the mood.

One of my favorite movies is “The Sound of Music.” I can watch it hundreds of times and it never gets old. I love the music, so as I sit here melancholic, I remember the lyrics of one of its songs: “When I’m feeling sad, I simply remember my favorite things and then I don’t feel so bad.” Let’s see it it’s true. 

Sunrises at the beach and rainbows after a rainstorm. Walking by the seashore while holding hands with my hubby. Sipping hot chocolate with marshmallows on a cold winter morning. Staring at a Nativity scene while remembering the first Christmas. Butterflies flying over flowers while flapping their colorful wings. These are a few of my favorite things.

Watching the sunset after a long sunny day. Bubble baths while enjoying a glass of champagne. Ice cream sundaes with lots of chocolate fudge. Enjoying a meal with friends and family. Wrapping Christmas gifts to share with family and friends. Sitting under a tree while rocking on a swing. These are a few of my favorite things.

French toast and mimosas for brunch. Watching Christmas movies in July. Reading a good book while lounging by the pool. Cuddling under a blanket with my favorite pooch. Singing Christmas carols while decorating the tree. Eating cake with lots of icing. These are a few of my favorite things.

Traveling to faraway places. Taking pictures both of castles and ladybugs. Spending time with my family. Visiting old churches and listening to mass in foreign languages. Taking a romantic stroll under the moonlight. Wearing charming earrings. These are a few of my favorite things.

Spending a quiet hour in front of the Blessed Sacrament. Writing on my journal. Looking at old family photos. Reading good Christian literature while learning about my faith. Picking wild flowers on a cool day of spring. These are a few of my favorite things.

Yes, I guess it worked. I don’t feel so sad anymore. Maybe I should jump on the bandwagon and start to decorate. The important thing to remember is that even if we cannot physically gather together, we can do so spiritually and with the help of technology. It is up to me not to allow what’s happening around me in the world to take away the joy of Christmas. I will not let it happen. So next time I start feeling a little blue, all I need to do is remember my favorite things, and then I won’t feel so sad.

Copyright © 2020 Christy Romero. All rights reserved.