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Happy highlights from a hard year

Welcome, 2021! Has a new year ever received such global fanfare? We thought we were excited about 2020 and then … 

I don’t want to gloss over the challenges of the last year. We all faced tough times — some certainly more significant and life-altering than others. Even with what my own family went through, we came out of 2020 relatively unscathed and, for that, I am grateful. 

And I’d be remiss if I didn’t call out some of the simple pleasures, moments of growth and silver linings that bubbled up from the last several months. It’s tempting to rush out of 2020 and into 2021, declaring we will never look back at that year. But how can we not? It was a year that tested us. It was also a year that taught us. Or at least it taught me a thing or two. 

So, I share with you my 2020 highlights. Here’s my top 10 list (in random order): 

Family Time. If you felt like your family was scurrying in a million different directions, 2020 put a stop to that. Suddenly, we were home. And home … and home. Our forced togetherness allowed us the chance to enjoy each other’s company. As stay-at-home orders stretched from a couple weeks into a couple months, our family embraced evening walks through the neighborhood (quarantine walks), hanging out on the back porch with “porch snacks” of cheese and crackers as well as Friday movie nights (so many 1980s classics!). The unrushed pace opened up time to talk, hang out and just be together. 

The Memes. OK, let’s be real: those quarantine memes were the laugh break we all needed. Some of them were seriously LOL worthy. 

Reading. I’ve always been a reader, but my 2019 schedule in particular hadn’t given me much time for reading. Behold: 2020. I read 28 books. (My goal for 2021: 36 books. Totally doable!) Bonus: I also finished reading the entire Bible in 2020. I started one of those “read the Bible in a year” plans at the beginning of 2018. Sure, it took me 2 ½ years, but I did it! 

Active With Holly. One of things I missed after closing our CrossFit gym was the chance to inspire others to live a healthy and active life. In September, I decided to become an independent rep for Zyia Active, a line of activewear for women, men and kids. I created a Facebook Group and Instagram account under @ActivewithHolly where I could talk about new Zyia products but also share healthy recipes, meal planning tips, fitness info and general inspiration for active and healthy living. 

Work. Fortunately, much of my business was virtual pre-COVID and I already worked at home. I’m grateful marketing clients kept rolling in and I was able to forge new professional partnerships with fellow StoryBrand Guides. I even had time to rebrand Fisher Creative with a new logo and website refresh. I increased my social media presence and was able to do a few virtual speaking gigs and podcast interviews. 

Rest + Recharge. I’ve never been that great at resting. I’m a doer so too much rest time feels wasteful. But I also know we need rest. We need time to relax, recharge and simply do nothing. I began to embrace rest in 2020. I wouldn’t say 100% there quite yet, but I have made great strides. 

Health. I’ve always been grateful for good health, but this year in particular, I appreciated being healthy.  

Faith. What could we do in 2020 but put our trust in Jesus. It was tough not to worry. I remember watching the evening news in March and April, thinking, “We’re all going to die.” But I dug deep this year. I read God’s word. I prayed. I wrote in my prayer journal. And I believe my faith was strengthened. 

Husband. In July, Clint and I celebrated our 20th anniversary. We canceled our trip to Asheville, N.C., as COVID cases spiked in mid-July. But that didn’t stop us from marking the day and reflecting on the past two decades. Bonus: We made it to Asheville in November for a mini-vacation. (Side note: we have spent a lot of time together in the last few months and haven’t killed each other!)

Technology. Can you imagine quarantining in 1993? I am grateful for technology that allowed us to work and school from home as well as stay connected to friends and family. The virtual coffees with friends and colleagues were truly life giving. 

That’s my 2020 highlight reel. What glimmers of goodness did you uncover?

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Moving past the loss of 2020 and into a rebuilding year

On Tuesday, I picked out two sympathy cards.

You read that right: Two.

One for each wife who had lost her husband on Monday. Both were precious friends. 

I met Tom years ago when I was serving on the national board of directors for the Society of Professional Journalist. I traveled around the South in my role as regional director, meeting fellow journalists along the way. Tom and his wife Lorraine became dear friends, even hosting me at their home in Atlanta. They were accomplished and dedicated journalists. Several years ago they retired to North Carolina but we stayed in touch. 

Our friend Andy lost his fight with pancreatic cancer. At age 51, his life was cut short much too soon. Andy’s wife Audra moved to Charleston more than a decade ago. Through a mutual friend she ended up staying in my guest room for a few weeks as she got settled. At the time, Kate was 2 years old, and Clint was working in Africa for 11 months. Audra was a gift from God as I struggled to work, chase after a toddler, recover from postpartum depression — all while missing my husband desperately. 

Andy joined Audra in Charleston a few weeks later. He quickly became Uncle Andy to Kate. The two of them were family. 

So, I’m coming into the last week of the year with a heavy heart. But, then, let’s be real. This whole year has had a heaviness to it. 

These losses came at the end of year of so many losses. We all lost in 2020. Lives were lost to COVID — certainly the greatest of all losses. Others lost businesses, jobs, income. Clint and I closed up our CrossFit gym so we understand that loss. 

Celebrations, milestone moments and bucket list trips — lost to a virus that gripped our world. Our nation faced political tension, racial divide and social unrest — a loss of unity and hope. 

It’s tempting to bid 2020 a big, fat farewell. It was the year that overstayed its welcome. 

Among the loss, grief, stress and plain old exhaustion of this year, can we dig some good from the rubble? 

This made the rounds on social media and really resonated with me.

I’ve decided 2021 will be a rebuilding year. You know, like sports teams have when they get a new coach. They don’t expect a lot from that year. They use it as an opportunity to renew their focus, get their heads on straight and train for what will surely be a monumental next season. I think we need to rebuild and regroup after the losing season of 2020.

This year I read the book “Chasing Vines” by Beth Moore. One of the lines from the book is “Your growing comes in shrinking.” For me, 2020 was a year of “shrinking.” It was a year of stepping away and figuring out how I should spend my time and energy. It opened my eyes to the importance of rest, narrowing my focus and deepening my faith. 

So much of our lives shrunk in 2020. That’s not exactly a bad thing. Remember, out of our shrinking comes future growth. We shrink, we rebuild, and we approach the next season with a winning attitude. 

That is my hope and prayer. 

Yes, we should mourn the losses of 2020 — a business, precious friends, anticipated events. Feel the grief. Shed the tears. 

And then step into 2021 ready to rebuild.