Goodbye 2021

I would say this was a year of unexpected things, some good and some well not so great. This year took me in new directions both literally and figuratively. I have decided to make a list of 2021 events, lessons learned, and things that impacted life:

• Adrenal glands are very important to the body, who knew?!?
  
• Beautiful lake view
  
• COVID-19 vaccine, yay!
  
• Double-sided tape is challenging to wrap gifts with
• Endless support from family and friends
  
• Feline companions bring a lot of joy, laughter, and cuddles
  
• Gas is not provided by the same company as electric and water
  
• Hot showers are a luxury
  
• Interstate driving back and forth for hundreds of miles to save my life, often times in the rain
  
• Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune every night, something my Nana and Uncle Michael used to do (and now it has spread to other family members too)
  
• Keeping my hope and faith for a miracle
  
• Losing Michael
  
• Moving to Palm Bay
  
• Nana helping me find my way back to my mom
  
• Omicron and Delta kept me locked down
  
• Proud of my ability to continue to advocate for the causes I believe in strongly
  
• Quiet moments to reflect
  
• Realization of my limitations and strategies to cope with them
  
• Sadness for the loss of community our nation is experiencing
  
• Tired beyond belief
  
• Unpacking is very challenging
  
• Ventilator for five and half days
  
• Working toilets are also apparently a luxury
  
• X-tra dose of vaccine
  
• Year of ups and downs
  
• Zealous professional life
  

Matthew McConaughey (on Jimmy Fallon) said, "We serve ourselves when we do serve others...Where those two meet - when we are filling our bank account and our soul's account at the same time, we are getting the quantity and the quality." I hope that in the coming year, people remember our strength as a country rests in everyone having a sense of community. This can be as simple as wearing a mask, getting vaccinated, or being kind to one another. It can be as large as donating time, talents, or treasures to issues impacting others, such as food insecurity, domestic violence, or homelessness. When we take care of others, it is good for the soul. 

During a recent episode of FBI: Most Wanted one of the characters said, "Life brings a lot of noise and you have to focus on what really matters." During these past two years, I think this became more and more true. This year I truly began to try to turn off the unnecessary noise. Losing days and coming face-to-face with my end multiple times in 2021 has made me want to focus my energy on the positives in life. I am thankful I survived 2021 and look forward to another year of opportunities.

I wish everyone a happy, healthy, and hopeful 2022 and I am happy to say 2021 is DONE!

Thank you, Uncle John for my Grandy's cinnamon roll!

  

   

For tonight . . . I'm just sayin' XOXO

P.S. Today, we lost the last of the Golden Girls. My love of the Golden Girls is two-fold. First and foremost, it reminds me of lots of wonderful memories with my Nana. We used to watch it together when I would spend the weekends with her. I think my Nana had a lot of the Golden Girls in her. She was full of surprises, laughs, and talents. Second, it was a show full of laughs for the sake of laughter. It was not a show full of politics or propaganda. It was the story of the friendship of four woman and their adventures through life in their 50s. To this day, the show makes me laugh as much as it did when I first watched it in 1985.