given the givens... 2020 reflection
so as is the tradition for me on nye these days, i spend the evening reflecting on all that has occurred..
for the last 9 months when asked ‘how are you?’, i have replied ‘given the givens, i am doing well’... with a job that allows me to work from home, my mom under my roof so that i know she is safe, a dog that makes me laugh everyday, and family and friends who are wonderful beyond measure.... i feel so very, very fortunate.
so given the givens, this was my year...
i started the year with meetings and conferences... celebrated 6 year no more chemoversary with a day trip to new york to climb the vessel and see the new parts of moma... two weeks later in early march i was at the cdc for the meeting (not related to covid, but it was certainly discussed)... it was the definition of surreal. two weeks after that, i started working from home and am grateful for the safety it provides.
the headlines haunt me for sure... but every day at work i strive to make our health care system as equitable as possible.. that is my part of the puzzle and it is work that means the world to me. earlier this year, i switched roles and now have a whole new set of opportunities to make a difference....
there have been losses... most recently my dear friend and mentor, Dr. Louise Arnold... i still don’t have the words, but suffice to say i would not be where i am today without her. her making me a faculty member at the age of 26, laid the foundation for all my professional accomplishments to come... we remained friends long after my tenure at the medical school ended. she was a force and she will be missed.
one of the last exchanges i had with louise was about the art history classes i have been taking online... through the smithsonian associates, coursera, and stackskills, i have taken/attended dozens of classes/lectures this year... on everything from modern art to project management to civil rights and more... this is a trend i plan to continue into the new year... always more to learn...
speaking of learning, ally is a verb, turned 4 this year and almost doubled in size... helping to nurture allyship in others has been a bright spot when there has been a lot of darkness. heads need hats continued to spread warmth with 126 hats/scarves going out this year, bringing my total donations since 2013 to 714 items...
there were of course also all the laughs brought about by stickman over at stickman’s log... we all needed a silly creative outlet... so i’m glad so many of joined me in that effort and i look forward to see what we are going to do in 2021.
finally (well... not finally... but finally for this session of musing and muttering)... i got to let all my auntie mame-ness show multiple times throughout the year... through zoom storytimes, reverse trick or treating, and lots of air hugs and distant high fives. i got to see my 3 amazing nieces this afternoon and i can’t think of a better way to end the year.
i know how lucky i am. i really do. sending each and every one of you happy, healthy, loving, grounding vibes now and long into the future. i look forward to hugging all of your faces in 2021 (or whenever we get it together/get vaccinated).
dailybridgerton
romaincrisis
2087
dededos