We’ve all seen the memes that say there’s no way it can me March 2021, since it feels like we’re still in March 2020. But as I turned my calendar today, what struck me is how it feels very different from one year ago, when we were on the eve of this pandemic.
Personally, I’ve grown and changed a lot. I’ve learned so much about myself, and I feel stronger in many ways. I’ve allowed myself to feel difficult emotions and have tough conversations, and I’ve made it through to the other side. I’ve felt immense joy and connection, as the relationships and people I surround myself with (in person and the ether) are deeper. And I’ve seen how many of those people have also changed and grown over this past year, and that’s really a privilege to witness.
I’ve written so many words that I’m not sure would have made their way out of me otherwise. Many of us have run many miles, gotten in touch with our creative sides, planted gardens, learned to play instruments, bonded with our kids, baked bread, solved puzzles, adopted pets. We’ve read words that may not have been written in another time. We’ve heard songs that may not have been sung in another time. We have a new president. We’ve had a collective awakening with respect to race in this country. We’ve realized how much we value schools and teachers. We’ve shopped small and local. To say nothing has changed since last March feels like a disservice to what we’ve all, collectively and individually, gone through and missing the point of it all.
It’s been a long, winding and complicated year; there’s no doubt about that. And in many ways, things haven’t changed. But in others, everything has … and I think that’s a really beautiful thing.