Thankful for 2020

As Benjamin Franklin once said, "There are three things extremely hard: steel, a diamond, and to know one's self." I am thankful for 2020. There has been plenty of difficulty, but I have learned a lot about myself and life. Some thoughts:

• This year has given me a new appreciation for the value of community. Our church went entirely virtual for months, and this helped me value them more than ever. The church is a community. Or, as Paul would say, a body. It needs to meet in person.
• I missed the frequent of casual lunches with friends, and learned to be thankful for them in a new way. I look forward to being able to reconnect in the real world more consistently this year, and am thankful for the technology to keep some contact with them in the meantime.
• My employer is in the travel biz, so COVID-19 hit us hard. Still, the company not only survives, is even doing well in many ways, and is setup for great success in the future. Though it has been difficult, I am thankful to still be employed.
• My family and I have made it through 2020 healthy, so that's something to be thankful for.
• I am not meant to work alone, and this year has helped me see that. Some people can be the lone wolf, but I have learned that this is not how I work best. I thrive best when I can feed on the energy of others, and can feed them in return.
• I found that I can, however, work alone from home. I really hated working from home at first, but now I have a nifty little office, a separate dedicated space. As long as I have some other developers to work with on the other side of an Internet connection, I can make this WFH thing work. Happy to ditch the commute.
• Working from home made me think a lot about discipline, productivity, and focus. The reading and podcast listening on the topic has helped me be better about spending my time with the family, working, and learning.

I am looking forward to 2021. May it be fruitful, blessed, and productive for you and me!

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