What I learned in 2020

Remember last January when World War III nearly broke out? I remember thinking, "Oh this could be bad..." but so much has happened since then that I honestly can't even remember why I felt that way.

I vaguely remember murder hornets because each of those words on its own is terrifying but when you put them together it makes a special kind of nightmare. 

Black Lives Matter made a huge impact on me because it reminded me that no matter how not racist I think I am, I'm still a privileged white girl who has no idea what people of color really go through on a daily basis and I'm horrified at what I've learned. 

I am now more politically educated than I've ever been in my life but I haven't decided if that's a good thing or not. I generally don't discuss my political opinions because that's a divisive topic and I tend to avoid conflict at all costs. Besides, I really don't fit with any of our major political parties so I just smile, nod, and pretend to be Switzerland. 

And then there's Covid-19. That's a topic that has become almost as divisive as politics, I guess because the two got so tangled up in each other. And even though I just said that I don't like to discuss divisive topics, I'm going to make an exception here knowing that not everyone will agree with me and that's okay. I promise to be respectful of your opinions and I hope you'll do the same with mine. I'm also going to talk about Jesus, yet another divisive topic, so feel free to tune out now if you don't want to hear it.

I do think the pandemic is real and I think that our country has not handled it as well as it could have. I'm not sure that a new president is going to fix all that but I am hopeful that things will improve over time. I'm tired of our new normal but I'm trying to be patient, knowing it will take some time for our lives to return to pre-pandemic normalcy and I believe that following the CDC's guidelines will help.

I've never been fond of large gatherings so that wasn't a problem for me until my daughter's wedding had to be cancelled. I was not okay with that but we had no choice. 

Social distancing isn't a problem for me since I've never been fond of sharing my personal space with anyone else. 

I wash and sanitize my hands more often now than ever before and I tell everyone that's why they're so dry and crusty and wrinkly, even though the truth is that they're just regular old-lady hands. 

I have to wear a mask all day every day for work and I truly hate it but I wear it, I wear it properly, and I will continue to wear it for as long as Dr. Fauci tells me to.

I don't wear the mask for myself since I have no fears whatsoever of catching Covid-19. That doesn't mean I don't think I'll catch it, I very well could. But I doubt it will make me very sick because I don't get sick. Ever. Well, hardly ever. I get a little upper respiratory thing about once every 4-5 years and that's it. I've never had the flu and never had a flu shot. But I never leave the house without my mask and 2-3 backup masks because I live in fear of catching Covid, not realizing I have it, and accidentally making someone else sick...really sick. That would destroy me.

I love my Jesus and I try to imagine what he would do if he was in our shoes. Well, obviously he wouldn't have to wear a mask because he can't get sick. But would he go maskless to show everyone that he's the son of God and immune to earthly diseases? Or would he wear one anyway to show that he's also human and he walks alongside us in good times and bad? Knowing what I do about the character of Christ, his humility, and his love for every human on earth, I think he would mask up. Since my goal in life is to be more like him, that makes it easier for me to put on my mask.

Following the CDC guidelines about wearing masks and avoiding crowds is not easy, especially when we, as Americans, are very protective of our individual rights and freedoms. Plus I'm a native Texan and in general we really don't like to be told what to do. But this year I learned that as much as I value my right to do pretty much as I please and my freedom to make my own choices and even be a little rebellious now and then...I value YOUR health more. 

That's why I will follow these rules for as long as necessary. And that's why, even though I have reservations about the new Covid vaccines, I will roll up my sleeve and get vaccinated as soon as it's my turn. That's also why I will continue to wear a mask all day every day even though sometimes I neglect my personal grooming since my face is covered every day so sometimes I pull my mask off to discover that I've grown a full beard...plus they're hot, they're uncomfortable, and they make me feel like I can't breathe.

But...it's a small price to pay to keep someone else from truly not being able to breathe.