Happy New Year friends! Want to know something ironic? One year ago, I set an intention to SLOW DOWN during 2020. Little did I know the pandemic would force that. I wanted to slow down because my 2019 life felt so hectic and busy, but not in a good way. Working from home, in addition to other restrictions that the pandemic caused, grounded me and revealed what the heart of my life really entailed. It gave me a fresh perspective and appreciation for the things that really matter. Of course getting pregnant and having my first child changed my perspective even more. Having a baby slows you down in a very unique way! Now as 2021 begins, I am starting the year with this fresh perspective and making a new intention.

Sure, 2020 had it’s disappointments and it has been difficult to stay connected without face-to-face time. Quarantining for my last few weeks of pregnancy, going to pregnancy appointments alone or virtually, and worrying so much about the threat of Covid were experiences I certainly did not imagine being part of my introduction into motherhood, but I don’t want to dwell on that. I consider myself lucky for not being directly impacted by Covid. There were also many silver linings for me in 2020 and with time I learned to focus on those. Once the pandemic hit, there was all of a sudden a lot more time at home… more time for conversations with Will, more time for dreaming together and more time for long walks that we now enjoy with our son. It’s these moments that have led me to my new intention for the New Year.

My intention is to savor life’s little moments. Having a baby in 2020 really gave me a new perspective on how precious little moments are there for us to enjoy everyday. We just have to SLOW DOWN enough to see them and savor them. Liam is growing and changing so quickly every day, and I don’t want to take that for granted or miss those sweet little moments. In addition, Will and I are new parents and while things get a little hectic some times, I want to cherish the time I have to see his relationship with our son evolve. Seeing them together brings me so much joy, as does seeing Liam with family and friends.

This intention feels right for this phase in my life, but also because we don’t really know what 2021 will entail in terms of “returning to normalcy”. None of us expected the pandemic to last as long as it has, and so I’m trying to manage my expectations for this year.

Of course, I hope that we eventually get more special in-person moments with the family and friends we didn’t get to see at all or saw very little of in 2020. Since we don’t know when or to what degree normalcy will return this year, my plan is to focus on family and making our house into more of a home. I’m feeling energized about new house projects and I plan to spend a lot of the extra time I have outside of family time focused on those projects.

Since our lives were forced to slow down in many ways this past year, I wanted to share more how I’ve processed the change and landed on this fresh perspective. Staying focused on my family and reminding myself how blessed I am to have them helps me remain positive. For some a different focus may fuel them to remain positive. To me, that part doesn’t matter so much. I think it’s most important to focus on the good things that showed up in 2020 and continue to exist in our lives. I share it my train of thought to document this transformative year and in case it helps anyone else land on a new intention for the new year.

If we create intentions for the new year that help us have a more grateful heart, then maybe settling into a “new normal” will come more easily whenever we do close the chapter on this pandemic.

I hope you all have a happy, healthy New Year. If you made it to the end – THANK YOU – for being here. Your support means so much, whether you’ve read every single blog post I’ve ever written or you’ve just now landed on this post. I believe when we listen to each other’s experiences with an open mind and share our own, magic can happen, and that’s why I continue to share my thoughts in this little corner of the internet.

Cheers!

Sarah Camille