Looking back on 2020, it was easy for me to believe that that world was against me. For so long, I had an ongoing mindset of how I was going to survive the year. Despite the fear, isolation, and anxiety of the year 2020, my life has drastically but positively changed. I realized that it’s what we make of it that will allow us to survive the year 2020.

I found strength in my relationships. Never did I think a global pandemic would allow me to become a better sister, a better friend, and a better daughter. Every day of quarantine was another chance for me to spend more time with my younger brother, older sister, and my parents on a new level that I never would’ve before. From binging every Netflix show to going on three-mile walks to playing board games, every day, I began to see little bits and pieces of myself in each of my family members. Eventually, this made me think, maybe we aren’t so different after all.

I found passion. Before the covid world, I used to be so occupied with the priorities of my life: going to school, playing sports, doing my homework, and doing it all over again. Last March, at the beginning of quarantine, I lost myself. I was confused and didn’t know what I was going to do that would allow me to enjoy life at that moment. My life no longer had structure, and I was struggling to accept that. Every day after online school, I started going to the football field, the parks, and outdoor tennis courts. Playing three-on-three mini lacrosse games and swinging as high as I could on the playset never made me feel so much like a little kid again. I missed my passion for my childhood. I realized that not always having structure in life can be a good thing.

I found humility. My parents always emphasized to me that we are in our own Hartland bubble. A lot of us are oblivious to life outside this Arrowhead bubble we have, and it’s hard to understand how others live sometimes. The year 2020 was like reality just hit me in the face. Never did I think people in our community would be struggling as much as they have been. I joined a local youth ministry through my church that focuses on community outreach and fundraising. Before covid, I would’ve thought I didn’t have time to be volunteering very much. I realized that the year 2020 was about selflessness, and whatever I could do to help others instead of myself was overall the most impactful part of my year.