Learning to Adapt
2020 sure was a year that tested us all. Through this all, I learned how much my family can learn to adapt. My husband works in health care and is considered essential. He had to go into work, in Washington, DC. Our son is in college and our daughter is in high school. I am a dog trainer and substitute teacher. Watching how our children were able to adapt to virtual learning showed us how the early lessons we gave them about being flexible and adaptable in life helped. There was a challenge and they rose to it. Our daughter is involved in the dog world. Shows and events are her escape. So many events we do were cancelled and this took a toll on her. However, it gave us a chance to travel to different areas. Seeing firsthand how clubs evolved to keep exhibitors safer, and my daughter and I working some events, showed how when people will respect rules, we can get back to some semblance of normal. 2020 for us was all about learning to adapt and make things work.
Sadly though, we know people who lost loved ones to Covid-19, we have friends who tested positive, family who were hospitalized (non Covid) who we could not see and a funeral my husband could not attend.
2020 showed us the best in people. We were in a position to help others get needed supplies when they were unable to get out or running out of money. Being able to shop for groceries for a class of special needs students who are also in at-risk/low-income homes meant a lot. It reminded me how lucky my family was throughout this.
2020 also showed us the worst in people. The anger, the attacks on people who refused to wear masks, the attacks on people who were pushing the wearing of masks, the insanity from both sides on social media... A friend of ours who is Asian and the issues he faced as people targeted Asians for the virus. Then the lack of people willing to research and check valid sources for
information was frustrating.
2020 was a tough year and all I hope is we come out better for this and that 2021 does not say "Hold my beer..."
