Have you played a game in which you say the phrase "in bed" at the end of each sentence? Try it if you haven’t. You will laugh so hard like you haven’t this year.
Now, do it with “at home” instead. Yes, don’t just say it, you actually do it. It’s like you are in a reality show. It’s more than a show. You are indeed living it. That’s what most of 2020 feels like to me.
The other day, a friend asked me what my highlight of the year was. When I searched for answer, my Assistante, without hesitation, said “you are growing your own coffee beans”.
To briefly sum up the year that’s about to roll over will be challenging. I’ve lost someone whom I deeply care about to COVID-19. I’ve seen the country in turmoil, many places in flames. And I’ve had doubts/changes in my beliefs. Intense emotions sent me up in roller coasters throughout the year - sadness, frustration, outrage …
And yet, in all of these troubles, the great power out there connected me to a coffee plant. And thanks to it, I now have a sister that opened up a new realm of knowledge and reality for me. Meeting her is one of the best things that’s happened this year (and to leave things to no regret, I made sure to personally tell her that as well :-) ). She not only has an amazing collection of tropical plants, but also a rooster named Red, a cat named Tiny Tiger, a few beehives and she foster hosts (not sure if that’s the right description) a show champion horse Remy.
I know you’ve all read about the sisters that I’ve made in my travels, including Maria and Maria (better yet, type “sister” in the Search box on my blog page and see what comes up). Who would have thought that one would make meaningful connections with people when lockdown/stay-at-home/social-distancing is in place? As life is full of surprises and this year has come with no shortage of, it still happens. And with Kathy, I don’t think there’s enough time in the world for us to talk about all the things we want to talk about. :-)
Speaking of connections, I wanted to mention the one and only trip that we made this year to a remote location in Canada that overlooks the Arctic Ocean. Taking things to the extreme is not our thing. But we did survive -50 degree celsius and came back home, amidst the WHO declared pandemic and US declared national emergency, in an almost empty airplane in March (I’m pretty sure we were among the last few that the airlines brought home from overseas). What made the trip extraordinary was the group of people that worked in the front and back of the scene with great passion to nature and culture (First Nation). And they either tell great stories or have/are the stories themselves , or both (think Butch). I have started sharing about this trip and more will come for sure.
Before I end here, I wanted to present this image to you - “Seeing the Light”. Let there be light wherever you are in the world and in your life. Wishing you a happy 2021! As to the year that’s supposed to provide perfect vision, let’s hope we’ll see clearly the whats, hows and whys of all that happened this year not too far in the future, because hindsight is always 2020. :-)
