I want to send a huge thank you to all my readers for enriching my days through this difficult year. Every comment, every like, every repost means the world to me.
This has been a really hard year. For some people, harder than others. Somehow, writing blog posts has cheered me up because it takes me out of my daily life and into the security of writing, which has always soothed me.
On New Year’s Eve, my husband and I have always gone to dinner and a show, and then back home before midnight to be with the cats during the fireworks. Last New Year’s Eve I had this awful premonition and kept telling him I was sure that 2020 would be a bad year. At the time I brushed it off as disappointment that we had had to cancel our trip to South Africa to see my family at the last minute, combined with my seasonal affective disorder flaring due to the lack of snow and constant rain last winter. I don’t normally have bad feelings about things but that day I really did.
Many good things have happened this year – we bought our dream apartment, we adopted another cat, we travelled to Dublin, we bought a new Harley, I have been really busy at work, Fluffy has lived longer than we could dream, my family is healthy. But on the other hand the constant uncertainty, the total upheaval on mental, emotional, practical, and economic levels, the cancellation of two more trips to South Africa (leaving me uncertain as to when and if I will ever see my loved ones again), the death of two friends (one of COVID-19), and the constant shifting of the ground under our feet really affected me. I think the worst thing has been the constant flow of coronavirus news, statistics, instructions. Wherever you look, COVID-19 is there. As signage, arrows on the floor, plastic screens, newsflashes, news headlines, press conferences, laws, recommendations, masks, hand sanitiser – you name it.
Last week, every day brought rising cases, rising death tolls, new restrictions, bankruptcies, closures more people not obeying the rules, and more and more press conferences with the Prime Minister telling us how dire the situation is. I think that in itself is anxiety-inducing.
But on the bright side, each day I appreciate life and health. Every day I cuddle the cats and tell my husband I love him. I phone my family more often, I appreciate small things. I pamper my skin and hair more, I use my best things every day. I can sleep later in the morning when I am working at home (which at the moment is all the time), I can work surrounded by cats. No trudging with heavy bags in the snow and rain. I can go for walks at lunchtime.
And I appreciate every person who reads me and who tells me they enjoy my blog. Thank you so much and I wish health and happiness for each and every one of you. My heart goes out to you if you have been badly affected by this pandemic. As 2021 approaches I hope with all my heart that it is a better one. How are you all doing during this pandemic? How has it affected you?