2020 Lessons
The dying embers of 2020 are seemingly taunting the world. As if they are daring us to breathe a sigh of relief. Many of us are whispering thank God we made it; while simultaneously praying that these last days are uneventful. One thing is certain, our 2020 lessons will forever be etched in our memories. It pushed and shaped and reshaped us, almost without us even realizing we were changing.
What has 2020 made you stop and think about? Or what has it taught you?
No longer silent
I thought I’d forgotten about it but at the height of the Black Lives Matter movement it made me think of that time I was told, “you’re not black, you’re Caribbean.” As much as I love and will forever hold on to my Caribbean heritage, my where does not detract from my who. Looking at the world through my daughter’s eyes I am acutely aware of how sheltered I was growing up in the Caribbean.
Even though the slave ship did stop in the Caribbean, many plantation owners left after emancipation so I grew up a majority. I didn’t have to deal with racism then but I learned really quickly that my skin color came with preconceived judgments. Where we were born does not detract from the fact that we are black. Though our accents and upbringings are different, we are the same. I am a black woman. While some may think I don’t have a right to speak up about the injustices to black and brown skinned people, we cannot ignore them. By ignoring micro aggressions we’ve inadvertently given them room to grow. My biggest 2020 lesson is, I will no longer be silent.
Be agile
With the pandemic, stay at home orders and stress on the economy, 2020 said, “be agile or lose.” I quit my job on February 15th because the working environment was not conducive to my mental health. I was not worried about finding another job. In fact I had three job possibilities lined up. However, Covid-19 had its own plans and I was not part of its decision making process. None of us were. Thankfully God was merciful and I consulted all of 2020. Yes I would of rather have a fulltime job with one company — health insurance is a thing! Agility and flexibility kept me grounded and fed.
Just pivot
This year too, pivot became my watchword. The planned renovations on the home my husband grew up in were pushed from March to June. We had another big delay when the windows we ordered still weren’t in after 3 months. We had to resort to using another vendor. Originally we planned on having the house finished by mid October. Instead of moving into our new home though, we were moving into an apartment and selling our old home while we wait on our new home to be finished. Talk about a pivot.
So for 2020 lessons and takeaways: be flexible and pivot. 2020 also reminded me to speak up and be so very kind to myself.
2020 Lessons from Instagram
Here are some 2020 lessons from some of my Instagram sisters.
@PolkaDotTheory
“Life is too short. Go after your dreams.” Our one day needs to be now.
@Micpoiter
“The value of time.” Because time waits on no one.
@jozlynnnn
“I can make it through anything.” Because surviving 2020 was an exercise in fortitude
@TiaKirby
“What lies beneath the surface can’t be fixed by sweeping it under a rug and pretending it’s not happening.”
@anchoredinelegance
“Keep reminding the world that differences are worth recognizing, celebrating, and understanding.”
@MikaelaPabon
“Stop and think about how to raise conscious, yet loving children.”
@Love.afrykah
“Radical change is often necessary. This struggle will bring about great changes and I’m looking forward to it.
What has 2020 made you stop and think about? I’d love to hear your 2020 lessons.
