Let’s dumpster dive 2020

If I asked you to go dumpster diving with me, you'd probably say, "Um, hard pass." But I'm going to ask anyway, so let me back up. 

I'm sure I'm not the only one who has heard 2020 described as a complete dumpster fire or seen gag gifts to that effect. (Type "dumpster fire" in Google and watch it populate with "dumpster fire 2020" or "dumpster fire ornament." Yikes.) Some days, I'm like, "Well, if the shoe fits...."  Other days, and particularly during this holiday season, I realize that 2020 has actually given me a lot.

So let's take stock of this year by asking, "What did 2020 give me?" In other words, let's go dumpster diving and see what treasures we can pull out of what otherwise looks, feels, and stinks like a mess.

Personally, 2020 gave me precious family time. Specifically, the ability to eat dinner together during the work week. Before the pandemic, our household of three ate dinner at three different times. Pretty pathetic. Without quarantine, we’d never had shaken up our routine and gotten out of our rut. Now, our mealtime is sacrosanct. It’s something we vow to take into 2021 when we return to normal (or have a “new normal”).

During a season when we’re focused on whether Amazon can get us that package in two days, realizing that this year gave us some priceless gifts helps to put it all in perspective. So what do you find when you dumpster dive 2020?

Wishing you a happy holiday and a happy and healthy New Year!

This content and my attendant video were originally featured in my December 23, 2020 newsletter. If you like this, please sign up to stay connected as part of my weekly email community.