week 37 - Looking back on 2020 - Sally has much to ponder

 Edited BY


G P Kennedy


Sally – London, UK


 In January 2020 I was ready to hit the new year running.  I’d had my daughter the year before and had just started to feel settled. 


I had a feeling that things would pick up work-wise for me, I would get booked on bigger shows and have more jobs in London instead of traveling up North as much.  James also felt more positive about his work. 


This was going to be our year!  How wrong we were.


 We all know what happened to this year, I’ve written about it every week and said how it has affected my life and those around me.  It scares me to look back but this was a year like no other and no one saw it coming.



 We started off the year with an 8 months old baby and have ended it with a 20-month-old toddler.  That is the one positive that I am taking from 2020. 


We got to spend nearly a whole year watching Iris grow.  Not feeling guilty missing important milestones whilst we were at work but together James and I saw her take her first steps.


We watched how her little personality has grown, and continue to see her learning daily and enjoying life.


 She’s changed so much, it’s unbelievable.  Again this is better sweet as our families didn’t get to experience this.  All the firsts we saw, they missed, including her first birthday and that saddens me.


 



I think I have also learned not to sweat the small stuff this year. things happen and I can’t change them. 


In April I was nearly in tears as there was a shortage of flour and I wanted to cook the baby’s first birthday cake from scratch.  


 We ended up with a packet mix but as Iris has never had cake before it didn’t matter.  It tasted nice and I decorated it as best as I could. 


The truth is I probably wouldn’t have the time or the energy to bake a real one.




 I know 2021 won’t be the New Year we are all wanting so much.  COVID will not stop at midnight on 31st December.  Things will still be different, we will still be watching the R rate, there will still be isolations and lockdowns but with the vaccine starting to be given out in the UK we can look forward with more optimism.  




 2021 will not start with a bang, more likely a gentle fizzle but we can look forward to things. 


 2021 will be the year of FAMILIES and FRIENDS.


 In loving memory of my uncle Peter Moffat and all the others we have lost this year.


 Stay safe and look forward to a brighter future.


Sally xx



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