Happy Holidays! The season may look different this year than in years past, but I have to say, this was one of the best Christmases I can remember. My son (2 years 10 months old) loved every single present he got and wanted to play with each one before we could convince him to open another one. He drew on a rainbow scratch pad, played with Peppa Pig characters, bowled, got a huge kick out of recording his voice on a microphone and playing it back, banged the keys on a toy piano…and I had the joy of watching his excitement. My daughter (4 months) was pretty relaxed all day, just taking it all in.

It snowed about 4 inches here on Christmas Eve and Christmas day, which was amazing. I don’t know the last time this part of Tennessee enjoyed a white Christmas, but it was pretty magical. The snow was absolutely gorgeous on the trees, and my son had so much fun sledding for the first time. While we didn’t gather with extended family this year, my mom drove down from Pennsylvania (after quarantining) to be here for my daughter’s first Christmas. We’re so glad to have her here. These last few days have been a spectacular end to a less than great year.

I haven’t written a blog post in a while now. The truth is, blocks of quiet time to myself are hard to come by these days. When I’m not at work or sleeping, I spend virtually every minute caring for my two young kids and doing the chores necessary to keep our household functioning. As I’ve written before, I do make a little time to take care of myself most days, in the form of going for a mid-day walk and meditating for 5-10 minutes before bed. I believe those routines have really helped my mental and physical health.

Still, I miss the opportunities for quiet contemplation and creativity that I used to enjoy. I crave chances to read a book, journal, write for this blog, take a yoga class, or enjoy a long bath. I’m an introvert with a rich inner life, and when I don’t get enough time to myself, I don’t feel my best.

I think my resolution for 2021 is to be more intentional about making time for me. I’m not sure of the logistics yet, but I want to create a schedule and some structure around writing and reading for pleasure, physical activity, and self-care. Maybe I’ll also try to carve out some time to make visual art again, not with the intention of displaying or selling anything, but just to tap into a part of my brain and personality that I haven’t accessed much lately. Perhaps making a vision board collage would be a fun visual project to kick of the new year.

I know we’re all more than ready to put 2020 behind us. I always love the fresh start that the new year symbolizes, but this year, I’m more eager for it than ever. This year has led me and many others to rethink our priorities and refocus on what’s most important to us. While I’ve made the best of 2020 and am in a pretty good place, I hope 2021 will be a year of reconnection and regeneration. If 2020 was about clearing away, perhaps 2021 will be about bringing forth. (That’s a Buddhist/meditation reference, and it resonates with me.)

What are your goals for 2021? Are you making an effort to realign your actions with your priorities? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.