Retrospective of 2020
There is no doubt this year hasn’t been easy. Day after day, week after week, we have been the audience to tragic news. News that has divided, agitated and worried the world. News that has caused people to question everything we have ever known. Nothing surprises us anymore.
My original thoughts for a retrospective 2020 article included researching timelines of all events that have happened in 2020 because, let’s be real: we need a list to remind us of everything we have experienced. However, I wanted to try my best to bring a ray of sunshine on this cloudy year. Yet, 2020 continues to try to rain on our parade as some of my interviewees were less than enthusiastic in responding for various reasons, and I get it. My goal throughout this article is not to fully explore each point but rather provide introspection and points of reference for your contemplation of what this year has taught you and your family.
About a month ago, I was scrolling through Facebook and one post, in particular, caught my eye. It seemed that the woman who shared her thoughts on 2020 was trying to do the same as I: bring a little positivity into our dreariness.
The post read, “What has 2020 taught you, and how have you grown from it?”
Since then, I have tried looking at this year and all of its baggage through those lenses. The lenses of growth, self-reflection, and positivity. Don’t get me wrong, I will drudge the words “2020” through the dirt, but I feel that it is vital to bring some sense of good from this crappy year. I asked different people, from different worlds, and with different experiences, a handful of questions. Two are students: Natalie Siegman, a senior at UGA, and Jay Davidson, a senior at Springwood Academy. I asked Patricia Rogers from Vernon Woods to get a perspective from the healthcare world, and Tasha Perkins of the Childcare Center at FPC.
Tasha Perkins became the Director of the Childcare Center on March 9th, and just like for the rest of us, the world shut down on March 13th. What a way to start a career! However, she has learned through each hiccup and problem, to display ease and practice patience. She has done a phenomenal job. When asked what best thing happened to her this year, she credits the Childcare Center. It’s become her entire life. Her new role as Director has taught her how to empathize better with others and the problems life can throw at them.
Patricia Rogers began her job as Sales Director at Vernon Woods back in April. Before Vernon Woods, Patricia was the Marketing Director at WellStar West Georgia Medical Center. When asked how she grew and what areas she saw growth in her life this past year, she answered,
“Realizing that I used to spend so much time rushing from work to volunteer duties to personal obligations. I got to slow down and experience life at a less-stressed pace, giving me more time to be present for the ones I love.”
Patricia is not wrong: 2020 has forced us to pause and push the reset button on life. It has forced us to sabbath, to rest. God calls us to rest alongside Him. On the Seventh day, He rested. It is okay to rest. It is okay to slow down and engage in life instead of just watching it run by. This year’s events were rescheduled, rescheduled again, and ultimately canceled. Time and time again. People stayed home, and the world finally took a deep breath on life. The year 2020 has proven that life at a slower pace, made up of fewer places to go and fewer things to do, is manageable. Maybe even possibly desirable.
Natalie Siegman is a senior at UGA. She graduates in May (woohoo!) with a double major in Public Relations and International Affairs. When asked what she has learned about herself in 2020, she answered,
“This year, I learned that I much prefer quality over quantity. I am a very relationship-oriented person, so limiting those I spend time with has highlighted who truly matters in my life.”
Amen to that. 2020 has been a staunch teacher in reminding us that we are social creatures. We are drawn to community and to gather. It’s just a part of who we are. God calls us to be in community. It’s throughout the Bible. Just Google it. There are multiple translations of the word and frequent scriptural references. But wait, how do we juggle physical distancing with community? Is it possible to do both? If I’ve learned anything this year, it is indeed that both are possible. Just a few scrolls on social media will prove how creative and innovative people have been this year. That in itself is inspiring and uplifting.
Jay Davidson is a Senior at Springwood Academy in Lanett, AL. He is attending Auburn University next Fall, something he is looking forward to in 2021. When asked how he thinks our problems as a nation will trickle over into 2021, he answered,
“I think that with the power of prayer, and each individual doing their best to do their part on all fronts, our problems will not just magically disappear, but will get better.”
One can argue that our problems will never go away, while another can say that they could disappear. However, one thing we know is real: without prayer and without joining together, 2021 can suffer from many of the same problems we have now in 2020. God isn’t going to fix them all Himself. We, as children of God, have to come together as one to fix our problems. That is not God’s burden to bear; that is ours. We are called to love one another, not hate one another.
We’ve got some work to do in 2021. However, I challenge everyone to go into the new year with the mindset discussed throughout this article. Focus on self-reflection. Meditate on growth. Love the person that you are becoming to be. There is a light at the end of the tunnel; we’ve just got a few boulders to break through first.
If you happen to wonder what questions were asked, here ya go. I welcome any feedback and thoughts. Contemplate on these.
What was one good thing that happened to you in 2020?
In what ways did you grow/see growth in your life?
What is one thing you have learned about yourself during these rough times?
What is one thing you are looking forward to in 2021?
What is your perspective of the current situations (COVID-19, racial justice, political alienation, etc.) going into 2021? Will our problems magically disappear, or do we have to work to do as a nation?