Cereal is the New Soup: An Open Letter to 2020

Dear 2020, It feels weird to be writing a letter to a year, something that can’t talk back, laugh, joke, or argue with reason. However, with the way in which you unfolded it feels best to address you as if you can read. The year started out strong. We had vision, direction, and passion to make this the most memorable year that we have ever experienced. One where hope was renewed, promises fulfilled, and dreams realized. We created resolutions because we had finally realized the commitment needed to move forward and to create lasting change. Yet somehow you managed to prove us all wrong. This was the year that we realized that therapy and mental health was vital to a peaceful and content life. That we could no longer sit in the anxiety of our poor decisions and not take owernship for the part that we played. The year where the blinders were removed to the lack of authenticity, boundaries, and genuine love that existed within our relationships. When we would no longer accept the mistreatment of others, because we had long since said good-bye to our early 20’s and were old enough to know the pain that our words and actions could inflict upon others. The year we experienced the stillness and chaos of a pandemic took away everyones breath. When we begin to live in constant fear and uncertainty as we lost jobs, homes, and family members to an ever-evolving illness that we could not kill. The year that we rallied and cried out in agony as innocent lives were taken at the hand of those who promised to protect and serve. When we were able to see the future of every breathe breathed, and mourned the families that were separated and destroyed due to the ignorance of cultural insensitivity. They year that introverts and planners realized that their personalities and insight protected them more than it showed a dislike of people. The year when extroverts and the overly ambitious sat still for a moment to rest in every area of what those 4 letters meant. The year where we turned our homes into an oasis of love and peace instead of just being four walls and a roof. The year that we were able to create lasting and powerful relationships and build upon connections. When we took time to enjoy the nuances of simplicity and relish in the freedom that life was able to offer. The year that we were able to dig deep into our souls and discover who it was that we were created to be. Embrace our oddities and uniqueness in a way that allowed us to become comfortable with who we were inside and out. The year we experienced devestating losses, broken hearts, and were able to realize that nothing was as it seemed in the year prior. Although, it was incredibly painful, we were able to exhale a breathe that we never knew we had inhaled. 2020, did you know that the lessons and experiences that we walked through would last with us for years and decades to come? Did you try to warn us that we had become too reliant upon ourselves, our relationships, and the materialistic things in which we surrounded ourselves, and we never listened? Looking back, I wondered how we missed all of the red flags and warning signs. Because even through eyes that are half-open the evidence is as clear as day. We had been missing the purpose and true meaning of life for years. So as we wrap up a season of life that has been gut wrenching for some, earth shattering for others, and consistently downright cruel, I want to say thank you. Because, with the persistent and tumultuous journey that you unfolded for us, it was for the greater good of not only us but those with whom we live in community. Our faith has been strengthened in a manner that we can clearly see the Hand of God not only in our lives but the lives of others. Healing has transformed us in areas and ways that we never knew existed. We were set free from things that we thought we had buried, yet they resurfaced with a vengeance. We gained the strength to walk away from things that meant us nothing but harm and destruction while we simultaneously embraced the stillness of a season of constant goodbyes. Ultimately we landed right in the middle of our destiny's and callings. Our vision is clearer than it has ever been, our voices can be heard with clarity and conviction. We stand up tall and proud of who we have become in such a short time. As we look forward, we are promising ourselves and other that we will never go back. We are stretching our legs, lacing up our shoes, and heading towards the finish line. We are doing so with gratitude, respect, and love for all that we are leaving behind. Tucking the lessons that you taught us in our backpacks to unpack at our next pitstop. 2021 may have more for us to learn, but 2020 has been an excellent teacher so we are ready to pass the test. As we wrap a year that we couldnt dream up even if we tried, we will give ourselves grace, show love, and with loud voices pray bold prayers for what is to come.