Humans are formidable beings. We go through life challenges and feel its brute force yet we still “show up”. Depending on your outlook, carrying all that emotional weight could be humbling or downright debilitating. Nevertheless, I think it is safe to say that collectively we have gone through an intense holistic roller coaster ride this year that has tested us in every aspect. So let’s reflect back, shall we?
We in 2020…
…started school, we completed courses, we got a job, we moved to new environments, we got engaged, we got married, we got pregnant, we gave birth, we celebrated life.
We ached at the loss of public figures: said goodbye to Black Mamba, gave our final salute to Black Panther, paid our respects to the Notorious RBG. We suffered the pain of personal deaths. We grieved together, we wept alone. We checked in on each other, we checked in on ourselves.
We fell in love, we fell out of love. We parted ways with familiar faces, we found solace in complete strangers. We had our hearts broken, we had our spirits lifted. We healed, we found inner peace. We valued the presence of others, we cherished our own company.
We baked banana bread, we sang from our balconies, we engaged in viral challenges. We Instagrammed Verzuz battles, we Facebooked live DJ sets. We Youtubed and Netflixed into oblivion, we Zoomed through meetings, lectures, workouts, dance classes, & weddings. We Amazon Primed a suspiciously large amount of orders.
We witnessed natural catastrophes and social injustices. We amplified our voices, we protested as a unit, we chanted words that mattered, we shared messages of hope, we promoted change. We brought the good fight to the streets, to our local communities, to our own families. We listened, we got educated, we showed solidarity.
We acquired new skills, we refined old ones. We took chances, we regretted decisions. We revelled over small wins, we cried over unexplained failures. We enjoyed the art of doing nothing, we learned to be comfortable with silence, we acclimated to the idea of stillness.
We travelled, we cancelled flights, we chased sunsets, we went camping, we drove mindlessly with no destination, we explored our own homes, we ventured into our surroundings. We retreated, we took breaks, we started over.
We had joyous days, we had average days, we had melancholic days. We saw our bodies change: we gained weight, we lost weight, we became stronger, we became weaker. We prayed, we meditated, we introspected, we questioned the universe.
In retrospect, 2020 seems like any other year. But perhaps every feeling and thought was heightened because of prolonged confinements, lack of physical touch, and the fear of uncertainty. However, what we did in 2020 was accumulate stories and experiences. What we did was wake up blessed to see another sunshine. What we did was take each day one at a time for our loved ones, for our dearly departed souls, but most importantly for ourselves.
We, in 2020, survived.
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