Castles

Hello 2021! I don’t think a new year has been so anticipated since the millennium, at least in my lifetime. 2020 is a year we will never forget. This year started with the Coronavirus outbreak that changed our lives, devastatingly so for some people. Even for those of us who were not impacted directly by the virus, our day to day was altered as we had to adjust in the new ‘shut down’ world we found ourselves in. Schools closed. Hospitals and health care workers were overwhelmed. Travel halted. Businesses failed. Restaurants folded. Weddings and graduations were canceled. Jobs were lost. Across our country, we experienced heightened civil unrest and across the globe we not only watched news of the fight against COVID, but we also saw stories of devastating wildfires, earthquakes, hurricanes, swarming locusts and even murder hornets. We were down. Some days it felt like down for the count. Like most people, I had a quarantunes playlist and to be honest, it covered a wide variety of genres. Eclectic just like my moods. Most days just watching the news while searching online for who actually had toilet paper and Clorox wipes was enough to just put those songs on repeat. “Wake Me Up,” by Avicii certainly has relevant lyrics. “I tried carrying the weight of the world, but I only have two hands. Hope I get the chance to travel the world, but I don’t have any plans…So wake me up when it’s all over. When I’m wiser and I’m older…”

Feeling alone, an overwhelming weight at times and not being able to go anywhere. Yep, “wake me up when it’s over” seems to be a familiar sentiment. The flip side; however, is also a wonderful truth about the human spirit. Someone once said, “When you are squeezed in life, what’s inside is what comes out.” Stories from all over also flooded in about the overwhelming kindness, ingenuity and just plain grit that were displayed by neighbors helping neighbors. New York City residents lined up to cheer on healthcare workers. Teachers went above and beyond to help engage and excite children having to do virtual learning. John Krasinski even started SGN which stands for Some Good News just to report on inspirational stories from all across the U.S. Business and restaurant owners found new ways to adapt in an ever-changing market and there were even new businesses launched.

A lot of times we have no control over what comes our way. Who saw a global pandemic coming? (Yes, there are people who have the responsibility of forecasting and putting plans in place for such events, but I am not talking about them.) Most of us were blindsided. However, we do have control over how we respond. When the unforeseen occurs and we find ourselves in a difficult place, we can accept ruin, or we can rise up. We can allow ourselves to be overwhelmed or we can overcome. We can fold or we can fight. Let’s be honest, 2020 didn’t just throw curve balls at us, it threw bricks. Big, heavy, jagged bricks. Standing in the middle of the rubble, we could buckle, but I say we build. I don’t mean one of those tiny houses either. Let’s build a castle. A beautiful, impressive fortress complete with towers representative of the things that are crucial for not only sustaining wellbeing but flourishing. I’m sure we’ve all heard the quote, “Necessity is the mother of invention,” although it is not clear where it originated. Down through history, our worst hardships and biggest challenges have been the catalyst for great ingenuity and entrepreneurship. I read that Cambridge University was forced to shut down during the Bubonic plague in 1665. Forced to return home, Isaac Newton was sitting in his garden and saw an apple fall from a tree. This was the inspiration for his work that led to the discovery of gravity. It was a very productive year for him as he made strides in the fields of mathematics and optics as well. What are the problems we’ve faced and who will step forward with the solutions? Or, what things have people had more time to pursue that might turn into new business opportunities? I have a feeling there are many on the path to greatness that may have gotten their start in 2020. For me, it is a much better focus and I definitely want to turn my attention to what I can accomplish.

Goals for a new year

I don’t know about you, but I am not a huge fan of the term ‘resolution.’ As I head into a new year and think about the things I want to accomplish, I don’t really want any part of something that sounds like it needs to first be introduced by Congress. I just sat down and thought about some things I would like to either be more consistent with or complete this year and started a list. I broke them out into mom goals, personal goals, and business goals. If I have great success with any of my goals in the last two categories or have something worth sharing, then I will, but for the most part I wanted to dive deeper into the mom goals here on my blog. I plan on covering those throughout the month of January and then I will provide updates throughout the year and give feedback on what has worked, what we struggled with and our overall progress.

The Take Down

Before going any further, I just have to comment on taking down all the Christmas decorations. It is the very definition of not fun. Taking down the beautiful ornaments you had so much fun placing on the tree and packing them away for another year. Storing holiday dishes and making your table less festive. If ever there was a reason I would want someone to come in and handle my decor, this is it. What a depressing job and just think about the instructions that you would give. “Okay, just take down all Christmas decorations. Be sure and remove anything jolly, festive and sparkly and put it away. This place should really have no holiday spirit by the time I get back.” It would be awful of course, but at least you would be spared the painful task of actually taking it all down. Gross. Inevitably I end up needing another Christmas bin for storage because we always end up with more than we started with. I blame after Christmas sales for that. It is hard on the kids too. My little one doesn’t really do change well. He got an upgrade this year from an iPad mini to an iPad just like his big brother and while he was excited about it, he was very concerned about what would happen to the old one. I saw him carrying both around yesterday. Same with shopping for his new bed. “But mama, what are you going to do with my old bed?” he says looking up at me with his big blue eyes. Naturally taking all the fun Christmas stuff down does not sit well with him. I got him to agree to let us take down the trees, but he was very upset when we discussed taking down all the decorations we put up for our north pole breakfast. I can see now it will be a stealthy mission, probably involving a little bit disappearing every day while he is in school until one day it is gone.

Instilling Gratitude

At our house growing up, we were taught to write thank you notes. Since my boys are old enough now, I wanted to get them started as a way to encourage gratitude and thoughtfulness. Birthdays and holidays can be chaotic, and I think it is good to stop and reflect on the gifts you were given and be thankful. Taking the time to drop someone a note to let them know how much you appreciate their gift can mean a lot. So we will be starting this post holiday activity this year! I reached out to a friend of mine who does graphic design and ordered some personalized notes for the boys to use. They are so cute! Here is the link to her Etsy shop:  www.deliciouspapers.com.

Back to my goals. I would like for my castle to have several towers, starting with what I am calling the ‘Story Tower.’ In this tower are the rooms for my mom goals. I like the name because not only do I want us to be ferocious readers but I like the fact that it reminds me that each of the boys have their own story. The things we teach them and the experiences they have will contribute to their story. A blank children’s book with pages ready to be splashed with color and filled with adventures. This tower will be the adventures of Wood and Graham. I am glad that I am chronicling our adventures. I want to capture every moment I can because they mean so much to me. So far, my goals include ways to nourish their minds, their interests, and their spiritual growth. I want to encourage a love of reading and instill a sense of responsibility and pride in their work. This list may change and it will certainly be trial and error, I am sure. I am also sure that we will learn a lot along the way that will be worth sharing. The great thing is your castle can have as many towers and rooms as you want. Go crazy with the layout and the decor.

Freya Ridings’s song, “Castles,” was part of the inspiration for this post. I’m fairly certain the song is not about 2020 but since in many ways, 2020 did not love us well, I think we can sing it out as an anthem dedicated to everything that was broken about last year as well as a pledge to make the most of 2021.

What will your castle look like?