Yesterday my dear friend Laurie shared a piece of writing she did from an inspiration she received: to identify peak moments of the past year in photos. In any year, this would be an awesome activity. But for 2020, it presented a lot more challenges.
My initial feeling was that I didn't have many photos from the year, and certainly not ones that represented the themes suggested. It made me feel weird, but I kind of accepted it.
Then today I picked up my morning inspirational read, which is Instructions to the Cook: A Zen Master's Lessons in Living a Life That Matters by Bernie Glassman. The book uses cooking as a metaphor for how to live a Zen life. I already know that the ingredients I use for living a Zen life are whatever I have in front of me. The job of "the cook" is to use what is available.
Today I read this line:
The clarity of our vision determines the set of ingredients in front of us.
My mind went immediately to the photos. I thought, hmmm, maybe I didn't look at "my ingredients"with clarity of vision. Maybe there was more there than I initially thought.
Then I recalled some events early in the year that I had not seen in my photo library. Sure enough -- it was because I had moved them to amazon photos and deleted them off my phone to save storage.
Now I was inspired.
Here is my Year in Review in Photos. I have made one change: instead of "something new I tried," I put in "something I discovered" that was very meaningful.
Thanks a million, Laurie!
HIGHLIGHT OF THE YEAR: In a year where frequenting a restaurant became an act of bravery, it was wonderful to think back to that Saturday in February many of us from the SJA Class of 1973 met at an Amish restaurant in Sarasota. It was a beautiful day, and we had a wonderful meal and reunion. What made this the highlight, though, was that my childhood friend Maureen Kelly McCauley happened to be in Florida at the time and sat across from me. We had a great talk about writing. In less than two months I was able to invite her into a writing group, which has been a godsend for all of us during this turbulent year.
MEANINGFUL MOMENT: On January 12 my husband suffered a small stroke, and spent a couple of days in the hospital. This picture was taken when he was dressed and waiting to get discharged. I took it to send to his son to show him his dad was doing well. This event has changed our view of the future, but I am so glad he is doing well and that it was only mild.
SOMETHING DISCOVERED: Early in the summer my brother texted me asking me if I could send him any photos of his wife through the years, as he was putting together a 40th Anniversary gift for her. I was happy to have an excuse to go through all my pictures, and it was a wonderful journey. But by far the best thing that came out of it was discovering three photos of my dad from his youth that I had completely forgotten I had. It even took me a while to realize how they got here! Eventually I recalled that I had gotten these copies made from pictures my sister had, and I had stored them in a picture folder for safe transport from Ohio to Florida. Then I promptly forgot I even had them. I absolutely love this one because he is in the height of happiness, as he always was with his saxophone.
FEELING PROUD: When my nephew entered middle school at Cypress Lake, he became involved in playing the trombone, and it became a real passion for him. When they moved away, I was sorry I would no longer be able to attend his band concerts. But, as we know from 2020, livestreams became the new way to participate from afar, and I was absolutely thrilled to watch the holiday band concert from Pickerington North High School on my television in December. The band director made me proud to be a teacher, as he is doing an absolutely incredible job against all odds, and the music brought me to tears more than once. Ricky made me proud, as he always does, through his dedication to music. (And for those who don't know, he is my dad's namesake!)
FEELING CONNECTED: After several weeks of barely leaving the house, on April 29th the beaches of Lee County opened again. I got myself right to my closest beach -- Bunche -- and was not ready for the overwhelming feeling I had being able to be there again. Very quickly I felt reconnected to nature and my community and the world and myself!
MAKES ME SMILE: A few years ago, I purchased Nemo and Dory stuffed animals for my classroom. They have become team builders and buddies to my students through the year. When our school closed in March, I was not able to go back in the building until May. When I did, Nemo and Dory were waiting for me, and I realized then how much they meant to my classroom. So it was upsetting when a student accidentally threw Nemo on the roof of the school when they were playing outside as a reward for work well done. To make matters worse, it was a Friday and over the weekend there were torrential rains. Friends rallied me to see if I could get the admin to rescue Nemo -- but somehow he managed to rescue himself! Two teachers found him sitting on a bench in another part of the building, soaking wet, but still smiling. It was a miracle for sure! I have no idea how he got off the roof and on to the bench, but I'm sure glad he did.
MOMENT SHARED WITH LOVED ONE: Actually, I suppose it was the whole day. Given the situation at the beginning of the year with the stroke, and then the months of hibernating from COVID, Jim and I were finally able to pull ourselves out of the house and have a little adventure on my birthday in August. It isn't every day a person turns 65, and I just couldn't let it go. That, and the fact that school had been pushed back -- otherwise I would have been at school. So we headed out to Sanibel on a blazing hot day, ate lunch at Schnappers Hots, then visited Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge, a place we hadn't been together in over a decade. The day brought so much relief and peace and togetherness. It was the most perfect way to celebrate a special day, which probably would not have happened if it had been a normal year.
