It’s been a year…
In many ways, there isn’t much that hasn’t changed this year. Meeting friends for coffee, lunches, or breakfast meetings — has been absent from my agenda and replaced by Zoom calls. From a more positive perspective, since I have not been traversing the city for meetings, I have been more productive. I have mastered rolling out of bed, prepped to workout and take a few meetings before I need to shower. As a writer, being insular is in my wheelhouse and yet this year has pushed even my boundaries. What I miss the most is hugging people.
There’s a natural gravitation for humans to want to be nearer to those we interact with. This year has prevented much of that. My boyfriend, Adam, and I have countless friends and acquaintances who have had COVID-19, including one of my sons, and the losses from this virus and from other medical conditions this year will continue to be felt for a long, long time.
To help with our mental and physical health, we are exercising more and taking hikes frequently. One of our hobbies is night sky photography, which is by nature, a socially distanced activity. Personally, I have done more yoga in 2020 than I have in years, and I read a book a week (on average).
We installed bird feeders in our backyard and Adam helped me set up my camera in my office to snap photos of the wildlife: House finches, Eastern Bluebirds, Northern Flickers, Great Blue Herons, White Egrets, a muskrat — and one morning I witnessed the largest Great Horned Owl I have ever seen (many of these photos are on my Instagram and Adam’s: Adam Gibson Photography). My biggest commute right now is refilling the bird feeders every day to maintain my welcomed distraction of seeing these little creatures gather outside my office windows.
Heading into 2021, I am launching my podcast, Finding Joy with Kara. I will share interviews of individuals who have experienced profound and interesting journeys of healing. As a storyteller, I love sharing other people’s stories, for it can be insightful when we connect with someone’s experience. More on this soon.
Even our Christmas tree ornaments tell a story. All of our ornaments are dedicated to the lives our five children have had as expressed via small photographs. For 2020, I added shots of our children in Zoom calls. It is the most accurate depiction of their experience this year and hope that they share in the humor of it.
We have so much to be grateful for and it’s my hope that we collectively focus on creating more love and positivity in this world as we transition to 2021.