“The great gift of such periods is that they invite us to question our certitudes, our givens, these seemingly sure foundations that have lulled us into complacency — for it is only by being jolted out of our complacencies, cultural or personal, that we ever reach beyond the horizon, toward new territories of truth, beauty, and flourishing.”
– MARIA POPOVA
So much of what I’ve heard this year from family and friends has centred around what they miss. The things they took for granted before the pandemic. Wishing and hoping for some return to normality.
While it’s nice to daydream I believe such thoughts take you away from the present moment. Where you live. Where it’s most important you find things you’re grateful for.
For that reason I thought I’d turn the topic on it’s head and ask you all, what you will miss from this time in your life right now, when this whole pandemic blows over and normality resumes? (Whatever and whenever that is.)
Allow me to start.
I will miss the abundance of time I‘ve had with my family this year. I will miss seeing my precious boy grow during such a budding tender age. I will miss the times I’ve spent laughing, playing and being silly. I will miss being able to read him bedtime stories every night.
I will miss the time spent with my wife. Time that has brought us closer together. I will miss the heartfelt chats every evening before bed. Singing and chatting to her belly, feeling as my second child would wriggle and kick with excitement. A precious gift to bring in the new year.
I will miss connecting from isolation – long chats with family members and friends from all over the world. I miss the occasional virtual pub quiz. I will miss playing board games (something I’d not done for a long time before this year.)
I will miss the time available to pursue other ventures and pastimes. To read and write copious amounts. Time that has allowed my to write and publish my first children’s book. Time that has allowed me to start and grow a blog, that has allowed me to connect with so many wonderful like-minded people from all around the world. People who have helped inspire me, who have challenged me, who have made me a better person.
I will miss regular sleep – which I can tell you, for a pilot, is something I never take for granted! I will miss having a stable routine. For having the luxury to take my time and do everything I wish during my days off.
I will miss the time to myself. The solitude. The time to meditate at length and be still. To listen deeply. I will miss how this has helped me gain insights I might never have made otherwise.
I will miss creating art, playing video games, binge watching NETFLIX and otherwise being a complete slob.
I will miss this time because it’s my one and only life, and I believe it would be a mistake to spend it wishing for something else.
Let me finish by saying how incredibly grateful I am for a year that has challenged me considerably. For a year that has made me both wiser and stronger. For a year that has made me more integral. For a year that has brought me closer to the values I hold dear.
For a year that has given me something few others have. A much wider perspective. A much greater resilience. A much deeper love and compassion for both myself and the wider world.
For a year that has put me in a better position to weather the storm ahead. For a year that will make the rest of them that much brighter.
Thanks for reading everyone. I wanted to take the time to practise some gratitude with you all this week. Let me know some of the things you will miss from this time in your life below. If you want to humour me you can tell me some of things you won’t miss as well. Wishing you all the very best, AP2 x
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If you’d like to read some more of AP2’s nonsensical world views and exceptionally poor self-help advice be sure to check out his blog at: https://clear-air-turbulence.com