Hindsight

• Jaime
• February 16, 2021
• Challenge, Family, Goals, Happiness, Inspiration, Juggling life, Parenting, Self Improvement
• 2

Isn’t hindsight truly 2020?

Last year around this time, I wrote about Being the Strong Mom, and Choosing Happiness. It was right before the pandemic hit, I was home for most of the first half of February 2020 (the kids and I did fly to the East Coast the first weekend of that month to see dad), and I traveled with my husband for a portion of the second half.

I had no idea that those few days traveling around our state would be my last time out of town for almost six months.

Would you have changed anything in that last month before the lockdown?

Have you changed in this last year? What has been the best thing about the last 12 months? The worst?

A radio report this week prompted a discussion on our group chat. According to StudyFinds.org, a majority of women feel that they aged 4 years in 2020. Do you feel older? Did you find some grey hairs?

I have tried to be optimistic and forward-thinking for the start of 2021. But, I also think that looking back helps us to figure out the best path for our lives going forward. So, I’m taking this short trip down memory lane to think about where I was a year ago, mentally and otherwise. Using hindsight can help clarify where we’ve been, so that we can figure out where to go next!

I don’t know if I have changed. Certainly our life has changed in many ways, and slowing down and just being home with my kids for the better part of the year was such a blessing. We still managed to hold up most of our family traditions, sometimes in new ways.

My kids still push the boundaries, and I still tell them no (this weekend, after endless movies and devices, you would have thought I was the meanest mom ever when I turned them all off). And I do think that we all have a choice – and the choice to Choose Happiness makes all the difference, every day.

The best thing? We all still love each other, and I think mostly enjoy each other’s company.

The worst? We miss traveling. Seeing new places. Exploring. Visiting friends and family.

Two years ago on Valentines Day (2018), I hosted a brunch with a group of ladies to talk about the concept of this blog, and things we wanted to do with it. Four months after that, we posted our first content. Today, all seven of us are up with content, and we have more new things coming!

A lot can change in a year or two (or ten), but as I reflect – as I use my hindsight – I really wouldn’t change anything. Every challenge, every life change, takes us on a new path or teaches us new things about ourselves. We all learn as we go, and we keep going and doing the things because that is life. Rolling with curve balls, remote schooling our kids, cancelling all of our plans for the better part of a year (or more), making new memories with our kids, enjoying our time at home, and taking the time to slow down and appreciate all the little things.

We had smaller holiday celebrations for Easter and Thanksgiving. Only one family group for Christmas, instead of all the extended family. Summer cookouts and sidewalk masterpieces. Family swims with the whole pool to ourselves.

What did you learn about yourself this last year?

I delayed my business re-start for about six months. While I have always juggled all the things and dealt with whatever came next in the day to day, I have learned to let things go more (ok, still learning and trying). I have tried to have more patience with my family (also still trying).

There are so many things that we still managed to do last year, as I chronicled in early December (Holiday Traditions). We still took over 3,000 pictures! That’s amazing.

Most of the time, I am a hot mess just keeping up with whatever comes next. I have lived with a messy mommy look and a ponytail for most of the last year, have little bald spots on my head to show for it, and I’m ok with that.

My goal to try to work out more last year didn’t really happen (due to pandemic and gym closing and…), but I’ve hopped back on that wagon more or less this year.

Aren’t we all a work in progress, always?

If you haven’t reached your 2020 resolutions (and, let’s be honest, it was a year off the rails), take some time to reflect and decide if those are things you still want to strive for. Either go after those goals again, or let them go, and try something new. Make new goals, follow your dreams – set some goals that make your dreams achievable in smaller steps. Do it all, one step at a time.

Use that hindsight look back to help you move forward in this new year with new possibilities.

In this crazy time out of time, we did manage to do some normal in the middle of the chaos. And I’m super thankful that our lockdown time in the spring included warmer weather than we have this week…especially since it was colder at our house (-24) yesterday morning than at the North Pole (-15). Hindsight is, truly, 2020. And I am sure that, given a few more months, I will be able to come up with about 100 other things to be thankful for.