A Love Letter to 2020
This year brought great clarity
A gem, like you, is made beautiful by being polished. It’s not an easy undertaking, but a stone that exists undisturbed among others just is…but the most beautiful stand out because they face being alone, endure hardships and learn from what challenges them. Suffering purifies and makes beautiful, but only if the gem can shine. ― Donna Lynn Hope
Dear 2020,
It has been a year of heartbreak. In this year, so many lives were lost, and so many battles were fought. The world is being broken wide open; to expose the parts that need to heal.
My heart cannot begin to understand why this has all happened, but I know deep down that the reason will make sense someday. I feel the pain of all of the losses. My tears have flowed for the tragedies and the fear.
Through all of this, I know that you have only come in love. Deep within myself, I can see that light is meant to shine through the darkness of these times. We are supposed to live together. We need to unite as humans.
You canceled this year so that we could see clearly. There is no other; there is only one source. What I feel and the actions that I take affect everyone at the same time. I must choose wisely.
I am strangely happy about the halt of activity. All of this has brought me home. Not only have I rejoiced in being home for all of these months, but I have also found solace in the silence.
The time to contemplate is a gift. It is one that I will never take for granted again. The lack of gatherings brought me time to ponder the wonders of life. My walks outside showed me the beauty of the grass beneath my feet. Simple pleasures create abundance in my life.
The words should, must, and have to are erased from my vocabulary, and I have you thank for that. Obligations are a thing of the past. My inner knowing will let me know when something is right for me. Pressure from others will not enter into my experience.
Thank you, 2020, for the silence. It is something I will treasure from now on. Walks outside in nature, candlelight meditations, and roaming through my house, I feel joy in my heart.
I appreciate the opportunity I have been given to become closer to my friends, and learn how to better communicate with grace with loved ones. I have learned to love myself as I love others, the greatest gift of all.
I love to travel, but I have learned to love my home so much more. A house is not just a shelter, but a space in which our dreams take shape. This year has given me the time I needed to understand the beauty and spirit of my home.
This time has given me an even deeper relationship with my husband and my son. They are my guiding lights, and I have learned to love every aspect of them.
This year has given me the ultimate gift of becoming a writer. I get to share my heart on the page every single day. I have met a caring and kind community of writers with whom I have formed bonds of friendship. I have the opportunity to engage with them in a beautiful exchange of our thoughts daily.
When the time comes to open up again, this world will be different. We have changed. We have gone within and experienced the light through the darkness. The lessons we have learned bring us all the strength to love everything about our days. Thank you, 2020.
I love you very much,
Trista
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