Without a doubt 2020 was one for the books. If you were anything like our family and so many others, normal didn’t seem to exist. Traditional holiday gatherings didn’t happen, at least not quite the same; yearly trips that you look forward to were cancelled; and friends you regularly get together with you went for months without seeing.
For some being closed in at home with everybody in close quarters amplified already existing stressors. For others, the added togetherness was a welcome change. But no matter which camp you found yourself in, one thing was for sure – this was different.
What does 2021 hold for us? For some aspects we will have to wait and see. However, for others, we are creators of what lies ahead. Since so much of our “normal” was lost in the previous year, perhaps 2021 gives us some unique opportunities. For example, one of my clients related to me how Thanksgiving is normally spent rushing to three different households, for three different meals, to placate three different family members. However, since the state guidelines advised against that kind of activity, they stayed home this past year and found the lack of hurriedness refreshing. They have determined to incorporate an element of that downtime into their future Thanksgivings – permanently.
So, with 2021 come opportunities to create new traditions and new memories. Not that you need to get rid of all of the old ones, but there may be some that you would love to replace or at least refresh. Now’s your chance. I urge you in this new year to consider and perhaps take advantage of this new opportunity to create and build new memories.