Red's Wrap
Happiness. It's relative.
21 Thoughts about 2021
- Making meals for homeless people takes the sting out of a lot of things.
- The best thing I did all year was go to all my daughter’s prenatal appointments with her.
- Don’t drink so much you get a hangover in the morning and think you have Covid.
- Going outside every day – rain or shine – is essential.
- We can love more people, things, and places than we ever imagined.
- Unconditional love is a myth; all love has conditions, reciprocity being an important one.
- Other people know more than you do about a lot of things.
- You know more about some things than other people and you can’t let them tell you otherwise.
- Old is not ugly.
- Marginalizing people is never subtle.
- The record albums sitting in the basement have all the stored-up angst of your life before family and children and it’s time to listen to them again.
- Waking as an older person in the middle of the night to a crying baby brings back the feeling of privilege and aloneness that one felt the first time, however many years ago that was.
- Being an introvert during a pandemic is quite an enormous gift.
- Covid has taught us to know our body’s every tick, which is a good thing although paralyzing at times.
- Find a partner who lets almost everything roll off his back.
- Life isn’t what happens when this is over, life is right now.
- You don’t need a negative Covid test to read and learn and appreciate history.
- The second year of the pandemic exacted a huge cost to families, including ours, no matter how bright a face we turn to the world.
- Be angry at the unvaccinated but love them anyway, especially if they are your relatives.
- We want to say that next year will be better but next year might not be better.
- We can always be better – more compassionate, more creative, more energetic, more alive – never mind the pandemic.
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Photo by Eileen Pan on Unsplash
7 Comments on “21 Thoughts about 2021”
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Snow Door | wisconsinacademy.org
Listen to Jan read her essay “Billy” presented on WUWM’s Lake Effect
Jan’s essay “At the Breakfast Bar” on WUWM Lake Effect
Jan’s essay “The Parish Hall,” on WUWM Lake Effect
“Fury Cannot Touch Me,” Modern Love, NYT, 9/29/11
I learned from a wise therapist that those of us who have gone through real struggles turn out to be handling the pandemic much better than those whose lives have been smooth sailing. I never thought of the gifts of earlier hardship, but I realize he was right. I hate the pandemic, but I have not lost my mind over it. At least not any more than I already had!
Although I don’t expect The World to be better, it would be great if people in the USA would remember simple good manners including “please” and “thank you.”
A day or two of sun would improve our spirits. The endless gray days and soaking rains make our bones ache. 2021 was the rainiest year ever recorded (about 100 years) in the northeast. On the up end of the down side, at least our well is not going to run dry.
I learn a huge amount from the people I “meet” online. So many people are not only smarter than me, but have great ideas.
Have a great Turning of the Year and while I’m not wildly optimistic, I still hope somehow, things will get better. I just have no idea how.
Me, either. But somehow, I think all of this pandemic BS has made us really resilient – like NY rats?
Great list. #13 has saved me.
A great list. Happy New Year.
Agreed on every count!!!
❤️