I have these pajamas I bought at Old Navy that say, "Most Likely to Chill." I bought them because I love how soft they are and I love the color. My daughter Riley, 7, laughs when I wear them and says, "Most Likely NOT to Chill." She knows I'm not a sit-down and relax person. I pretty much view each day as a competition with myself to see if I can get more done than the day before. When people mention that they spent their Saturday "doing nothing" or "lounging around" my brain can't compute what they are saying. I just don't chill. Well, unless you count watching Netflix for an hour with my husband before we go to bed.
I think it's personality/genetics. My Mom doesn't chill either. She's always on her feet doing stuff. If she's off her feet, she's reading or talking on the phone. Productivity is our happy place.
But when I was thinking over the one word I want to focus on for 2021, it immediately came to me: CALM.
My husband knows, I hate waiting in line. I really hate wasting time. I talk A LOT. My personality is more hyper puppy than calm. But if 2020 taught me anything, it's that there's quiet power in calm that I could tap into. 2020 served up tons of problems I couldn't readily fix. It was a year of frustration that didn't make sense to get frustrated about. 2020 served up ambiguity ike a diner serves up coffee.
Calm seems like a better approach for a 2021 which will likely be a year of slow transitions. Impatience will only churn frustration. I'm hoping 2021 will be a year that walks us back, closer to normal.
Calm will be my one-word reminder to breathe and not get tangled up in my expectations of how I think things should go.
I'm going to calmly look for those silver linings.
My Dad might still be stuck in assisted living without much freedom to come and go, but he's also getting the vaccine soon.
Juggling a handful of remote school Zoom calls, answering school work questions, and attempting to work myself is a monumental challenge--but I'm not alone. So many parents are still persevering under difficult circumstances.
Our daughters turn 8 next week and we can't have a themed-party with their friends because, well, COVID. So, my husband and I came up with a plan to venture to O.P.'s Toy Store field-trip style with them. A pick-out-your-own-presents freedom in the Toy Store kind of Birthday. We are hoping this makes their 8th Birthday memorable.
Calm will be my reminder that all this STUFF we are all still dealing with is temporary.
I have lots of hope for 2021. Calm is going to be my new superpower.
Sandra Bilbray is a nationally published writer, regular contributor to Live Happy, and publisher of Asheville Macaroni Kid. She lives in Asheville with her husband, twin girls and two dogs. Email Sandra at SandraB@macaronikid.com
