It goes without saying, but I’m going to say it anyway, 2020 has been one hell of a year.

We started the new year as most do, our dreams brimming with optimism, a hunger for change, and the thought of achievements that would hopefully come to pass. So many of us could never have anticipated that we’d be here.

I think about January and February a lot. Having finally received my Associate’s degree I was eager to begin on my Bachelor’s program, although I was not starting until the summer. I filled my days doing whatever I pleased, filling in the gaps when I wasn’t working and didn’t have my son at home with me. It was a leap year, and I was convinced that it would be a lucky one, with very little needed to persuade them, my sisters and I planned a trip to Savannah that last weekend in February.

We went to Savannah to celebrate some personal endings, albeit, none of them happy. Those couple of days were spent eating good food, drinking, singing, dancing, and having a few good cries. Coronavirus at the time, was just a murmur, and its impact on the United States wasn’t a thing yet. There were no cases, no deaths, nothing. It was something we acknowledged, but also joked teasingly about. Had we known then, that upon our return from a girls weekend, life as we knew it would change, we wouldn’t have laughed. Our respective returns to work in healthcare were met with drastic changes happening very fast. I often wish that I could return to March 11th. The last day my work life was normal.

I suppose that my naivete was due in part to being raised in, what I thought, was the greatest country in the world. This year has really challenged that notion with a do-nothing administration that prioritized their own self interests instead of having the best interest of the nation at heart. Their negligence has directly resulted in the loss of 262,000 someones. Someone’s partner, husband, wife, mother, father, brother, sister, aunt, uncle, grandmother, grandfather, cousin, child, friend… gone.

Fast forward to today, Thanksgiving 2020. A day typically filled with family, friends, good food, a parade and plenty of football is now marred by a global pandemic that has filled our lives with unemployment, families not knowing where their next meal is coming from let along today’s meal, virtual get-togethers (or none at all), and immense losses.

Today I hold those of you that are grieving and remembering loved ones taken by this virus close to my heart. May you find some semblance of peace in this first Thanksgiving without your someone(s) that was taken so unnecessarily from you. Be kind to yourself and try not to place blame on yourself for not doing enough. Above all, as so many of us are trying to do, find a silver lining and relish in it. There is always, always, always something to be thankful for.

And in this attitude of gratitude, remember to thank those who have kept our country afloat throughout this pandemic: doctors, nurses, paramedics, pharmacists, police officers, firefighters, teachers, grocery workers, delivery service workers, and so many more. We are indebted to all of them for allowing us to continue our daily lives with as minimal a disruption as possible as we’ve learned to adjust to our new normal.

I am thankful for those who have continued to wear masks, practice social distancing, and adhere to CDC guidelines to the best of their abilities. Thank you for caring about others enough to keep them safe. I am also thankful for my family and friends and the enormous role they’ve placed in my life this year. I am thankful for the love I gave and the love I lost, both have taught me invaluable lessons about myself. I am thankful that despite the hardships all around me, I have had a successful year personally and professionally and I continue to shatter any and all expectations I held for myself. I have been incredibly fortunate and blessed this year, but I am reminded every day and today especially that not everyone can say the same.

As we begin the holiday season, it is my sincerest hope that those of you suffering begin to see the start of better days. I pray that you are continually blessed with employment or that job offers comes in, that your physical and mental health improve, that you’re able to provide/stay float for the remainder of the year, and that you find joy in the simple pleasures life has to offer.

If nothing else, I hope that my words provide some comfort and remind us all that there’s something to be thankful for today no matter how small that might be. As always, for anyone reading this, if you need someone to talk to, I’m always here and ready to lend an ear or helping hand wherever I can.

Sending you all love & light this Thanksgiving,

Amanda