2020 has certainly been a year like no other. People are sick and dying. Hospitals are filling up. Our essential workers are stressed and tired.I'm tired, too. Part of what's making me tired is continuing to hear people complain about "2020" when we have so much for which to be thankful.
Here's my list of everything for which I have been and continue to be thankful during the pandemic.
- That no one in my very immediate world has become severely ill with COVID-19, or worse has died from it. I pray every day that I can still say this six months from now.
- That my wife and I remain gainfully employed.
- My daily lunches and walks with my wife, the absolute best perk of us both working from home.
- My kids, who have endured the pandemic, and being stuck in the house with mom and dad, as best as they can.
- My dogs, who will have absolutely no idea what to do with themselves when we finally go back to work outside of the home.
- The slower pace of life and all of the family time I've been able to enjoy as a result.
- That I've been able to work from home since March without anyone batting an eye.
- Fast WiFi.
- Zoom, which has allowed me to stay connected to family and friends even though I can't visit with them IRL, and to continue to conduct business without the risk of in-person meetings, hearings, and depositions.
- A dry spring, summer, and fall, which allowed me to see some family and friends IRL and in small groups.
- Democracy.
- My renewed love of cooking.
- My kids' school, and its commitment to safety and remaining open for full-time in-person instruction.
- The Rockin' the Suburbs Friday Night Hootenanny, which continues to provide my daughter a valuable virtual outlet to share her music weekly with a group of very appreciative listeners. (Pro tip: it's free to join, and you can just sit back and listen if you have no music to share.)
- The scientists who worked tirelessly to deliver the COVID-19 vaccines we desperately need.
- Essential workers who risk their lives every day so that we can continue to live ours.
- Season 2 of The Mandalorian, the best show currently on tv and a Friday bonding ritual with my son that I very much look forward to.
- Jackbox, which has provided hours upon hours of entertainment on family game nights while allowing my kids to demonstrate their mastery of four-letter words in the safe-space of our home.
- Curbside pickup.
- Red wine, gin, and bourbon.
I'll be off the remainder of this week, and will return after the Thanksgiving weekend to open the polls for voting for the Worst Employer of 2020.
Everyone, please have a healthy and safe holiday. If you are considering getting together with family or friends for a meal or otherwise, please reconsider. I live in abject fear that if we do not behave with the appropriate level of respect for this virus, responsibility for our role in limiting its spread, and care for others we will lose all hope of controlling this virus until vaccinations reach a critical mass sometime in mid-2021. By then, a half million of us will be dead, millions will be grieving those losses, and millions more will be suffering long-term debilitating health issues. We can still beat this virus, but it will take a concerted effort from all of us to do so.
* Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash