The Joys of 2020

I will spare you the sorrowful replay of the junk year that 2020 has been. For me personally, I wanted to focus on the great things that has happened this year.

The number one thing that we celebrated was my sons first birthday. I know people say it all of the time but man, time sure does fly with kids. I cannot believe that he is over a year old now and already celebrated his second Christmas. The newborn stage was tough and I am glad we have moved passed that point. We are really enjoying the toddler stage. He is really coming into his own and learning so much every day. Having kids is tough but it is well worth it.

I graduated from my Masters program this year as well. I couldn’t have done it without the help of my wonderful wife. Every weekend morning was me, alone in the bedroom for hours on end. She was able to care for the baby while I put time into my education. My boss pushed me to continue my education after graduating with my bachelors degree in 2018. He kept reminding me that yes, it will be tough with a newborn, but that he will never remember the hours missed with him. For that I am grateful that I continued on with my education and that that is done and over with.

My wife read 100 books this year. This is something huge to celebrate. From waking up at 4:30AM most mornings before the little one woke up, to reading most naps, she killed it. She is a fast reader and I am still in awe of her accomplishment. I will end the year at 37 books read this year. I am happy with that because my goal was 24 books. 37 is the most I have ever read in one year.

On the tech side of things, we got new iPhones which is alway a joyous time. With five new iPhones this year, not one of them really disappoints. We got such a bargain with the $400 iPhone SE. We finally got a smaller yet modern iPhone 12 mini. But just going back to the squared off design from the iPhone 4-era makes the new iPhone 12 lineup a great addition.

So all in all, for such a crappy year, there is a lot that brought me joy. I know there are tons of other things that I am thankful for but those are a few that stand out to me. I may have gained a few extra gray hairs from my toddler and the unknown of the pandemic but the fact that my family has all remained healthy during this time is more than enough to celebrate. It is not lost on me those that we have lost this year, not only to the pandemic, but those that we have lost in general. Your loss makes me ever so grateful for my family’s health and safety.

2021 will come with its own challenges. But please, as you go out into the world, be kind to your fellow humans. We only get one shot at this life, celebrate and praise the good times and pray and comfort during the tough. God bless.