I had a thought this New Year’s Eve morning that if life were a novel, today would be the end of a major section, or perhaps the end, of the first novel in a series. If something doesn't happen to us between now and midnight, we have managed to survive 2020 in good shape, as have all of our family and closest friends. While we know a few people who have tested positive for COVID, none have become seriously ill or died. Feeling blessed, and lucky about that.
Some close friends have experienced losses during the last few weeks of the year, which is, as we have experienced in the past, terribly hard. Some were in the natural fullness of a long-lived life, others unexpected and sudden, yet others tragic. Another friend left yesterday to move across the country to take a new call and begin a new phase of her ministry. Cause for celebration to be sure. But still a loss.
Most of Texas has been in a bad drought this year, but a wet blue norther blew in over night, and we awoke to a frigid, wet rain gently falling into parched ground. It's winter, yet you can almost see the plants and aquifer soaking up life giving moisture. A sunflower (!?!) bloomed over night even though the temps dropped to 38 degrees with a stiff north wind blowing. (Makes we wonder if this is a Gabriel Garcia Marquez novel we’re in.) And while the Border Collie didn’t like the rain and thunder, she was happy to curl up in the back of the closet and sleep in till it passed.
Blessedly, and thanks to the God given-minds that scientists have, there are vaccines on the horizon, which appears closer and closer with each passing day. Two of our first responder family members have already gotten theirs, and it looks like they’ll begin to do us old-folk next, maybe by mid January! We are “impatiently patiently awaiting getting ours. [Note, we have appointments January 14 and 15 for the vaccine].
There’s a new, ground breaking administration being inaugurated in just 21 days! I know things probably won’t change as immediately as I want. But at least there will be the possibility of order, planning, courtesy, and common decency up on The Hill. At a minimum we’ll hear an articulate thought and complete sentence coming from the White House.
The time feels very transitional--as if it's the right time to turn the page to a new part of our story yet to unfold. I’d love to think that the New Year is going to be the best year ever, but if I’ve learned one thing in the past 72 years it’s that perhaps it will, but likely it won’t. Like all years there will be moments of joy and blessing, abundance and grace, creativity and excitement alongside the losses, griefs, challenges, disappointments—all those changes and chances that make up life.
So let’s hang up the new Sierra Club Wilderness Calendar, eat the Black Eyed Peas (maybe second and third helpings for luck), pop the Champagne for abundance and blessings, and let's open a new page on what comes next.
Wishing you all a safe, healthy and Happy New Year. If Y’all have time and are so inclined, I invite you to see my photo reflection on the past year, which follows below:
Photography is a way that I keep a journal—Images rather than words. The following is a journal reflection on what life in 2020 was like for me.
What promised to be a good year began with great light that caught my attention.
Things looked promising for 2020.
I was able to work with a model for the first time in 5 years! (Only took us 10 years to finally arrange things and work together due to her location/schedule and mine.)
That was great fun. I rediscovered a genre of photography that I’d grown tired of. I resolved to do more of it during 2020.
Then La Cabrona the Corona Virus appeared:
And life swiftly shifted into quarantine and our focus shifted to what was closer to home.
Still, it wasn’t too bad. There was beauty to be explored, neighbors to know better, grace in introspection. Even occasional humor.
I began a couple of new photo projects: Fiona’s Paws and Photos At Prayer—(photos taken while doing on line worship with our church.
But as time wore on things began to flag a bit. Covid wilt struck. Hair grew long. We wondered if it would ever end.
But we stuck with it. Our explorations became more creative and moved closer to home.
We persevered, though we longed to do what we used to be able to do. (Leftovers, our Grand-cat, left us during this time, at a ripe old age.)
We watched and waited. We prayed. We ZOOMED
As the year drew to an end the vaccines appeared, and light was still with us. We could clearly see a new dawn awakening.
On New Years Eve we were able to sign up to receive the vaccine in a few weeks. We turned in early, and awoke to the beauty of light shining out of darkness, and an open slate for what lies ahead.
May 2021 be filled with glorious light for you and yours.
