Not your fault 2020, not your fault.

Dear 2020,

Everyone has been blogging about how awful you are. There are even commercials about how awful you are. It's on twitter and facebook. All that bad press has got to hurt your feelings. I imagine you are at home in sweatpants eating mac and cheese from a box. You've probably unplugged your router and turned off your cell phone. I don't blame you. Take some time for yourself. 

But while you are taking some time for yourself, I wanted to write to you to let you know that, I get it. Everyone has bad days, or a series of bad days that leave them feeling just awful. Trust me, I work in a middle school. When things get posted about you on the internet it can truly be upsetting. But at some point, you are going to have to wash your face and put your big girl pants on and face the world. 

The truth is 2020, you are just a year. 

One year out of millions. 

Trust me. Other years will come along and make errors much bigger than the ones you made and eventually, we will stop making jokes about you. Just like all good gossip, you will fade into the background and when that happens you will be so relieved. 

Sure there was a global pandemic. But it wasn't like it was the black plague. I mean as far as pandemics are concerned, I really think the bubonic plague takes the cake. Boils? Correction - black boils that ooze pus and blood?! 20 million people died. But do you hear jokes about 1340? Yes, it did give us a chuckle when referenced in Monty Python's Holy Grail but that movie is a comedic classic. Don't beat yourself up. I'd also like to point out that this pandemic actually was named after 2019. I think it's wrong that you take the brunt of the blame. 

(note to reader - I'm not downplaying COVID, just putting it into perspective for 2020 so it isn't so sad.)

Yes, we all had to cover our faces for the better part of the year. It led to mascne. But no one saw those pesky pimples except those we were isolated with. And they were so happy to have face to face human interaction that they didn't judge us. It also allowed lots of companies to create and relabel products to specifically treat this condition. You actually promoted human ingenuity. You were instrumental in building a "better mousetrap."

Naturally with all that time on our hands and not being able to socialize, there was civil unrest. But there have been other years with civil unrest too. How about the civil war? Nothing says civil unrest like a country at war with itself. Germany was once split in half by a wall. There's some civil unrest for you. Civil unrest exists. I don't think it's specific to you, 2020. It's not like New Year's Eve hit and everyone instantly decided to get angry about things during 2020. It's not your fault, 2020. 

It was an election year. Those are always a little tense. But 2020 was going to be an election year WAY before 2020 every happened. 2020 was going to be an election year once our country decided to vote every 4 years. Again, not your fault. We like our elections and we don't want to lose them and we certainly don't want to eliminate the process! Even though it may be difficult at times. 

Then there was the whole toilet paper thing. Again not your fault. They were telling us we were going to be stranded at home forever. We fear nothing more than being high and dry on the toilet. People even researched how to make reusable tp at home in case they ran out and couldn't find anymore. We also couldn't find yeast because everyone was baking. Because when you are stranded at home all you really need is a loaf of homemade bread and toilet paper. There was a cumin shortage for a while. Oh! And the meat! So let me correct myself - When stranded at home all you need is toilet paper, a loaf of homemade bread, and chicken tacos. or beef tacos. or pastor...ok....just tacos. Any tacos. 

I guess what I'm trying to say, 2020, is that I'm not mad at you. No matter what they say about you in the news, on the commercials, or on social media, you 2020, are just a year. So many things that happened were out of your control. I think it's unfair to blame you for everything bad that has happened in the past year and not recognize the good things that come with you as well. 

Like more time with family and realizing what matters. Or projects that we always wanted to get done at home. Eating tomato sandwiches every Thursday at the neighbor's house. Learning to knit and crochet. Listening to Koo Koo Kanga Roo and having dance parties with Josiah so we can both get the wiggles out before getting back to working from home. Having time to run in the woods. Buying 40lbs of frozen discounted chicken because restaurants were closed. Going to a restaurant for the first time in months and really remembering what it was that we enjoyed about eating food in a restaurant - which is being with people, even people we don't know. Riding a bike in the middle of the day, for fun. Spending 36 days in Florida - some filled with heartache, some filled with over whelming joy and love. Getting to explore God's creation in the form of pristine gulf beaches, swamps, sting rays, shells, manatees, and alligators. Not to mention that wild boar we saw that one time. Ever expanding family, because when you get down to it, they make us who we are. 

Best wishes & warmest regards,

me