Many business owners I talked to this year said they were thinking about closing offices for the holidays, so many of us are going to get real holiday time off.
While the time off will be real, it definitely won't be traditional. But when God closes the door He opens a window, and even though this break will be different, it will create some new opportunities.
So while we can't travel and hardly can visit anybody, I decided that it's an awesome time to reflect and find things to be grateful for.
Since I was a kid, every New Year's Eve about 20 minutes before midnight, the time when the big old chime clock on the Kremlin tower in Moscow would start counting down what always feels like the great new beginning, mom had us reflect on the year that we were saying good-bye to.
It was almost like a game, and there was no way to skip it. She always asked us to think well and share everything we were grateful for.
I warned my Canadian husband about it last year when we got to celebrate this holiday with my Russian family. He didn't believe me until mom made him think about it at the table and wouldn't let it go until he came up with something good.
At some point, I didn't like this little tradition, because sometimes it was difficult to come up with something as, first, the recent events usually outshine other things that could have been much better, but happened earlier in the year. Besides, we tend to focus on problems and challenges, and happiness is often just a moment, which is more difficult to remember.
But anyway, the little Christmas break allowed me to reflect on what I was grateful for this absurd year.
First of all, the year started off just the way I wanted it, with my family around, with a real Christmas tree filling the room with that most genuine smell of Christmas holidays, with champagne popping and with dancing with grandma. We spent a beautiful vacation in St. Petersburg, and I truly think that if not for those few weeks, I probably wouldn't make it through this crazy year.
So I guess the first thing I'm grateful for is the family. They are my base. They are my safe place. Even if it only can be done virtually, reaching out to them recharges me, fills me with energy and reminds me about all the great things I have in life, distracting from the immediate and in most cases insignificant problems.
The first few weeks of the pandemic were definitely overwhelming. Not that the rest of this year wasn't, but I think I later grew an extra stress-resistant layer, which is also a thing to be grateful for (even dirty dishes left on the table can't get me out of balance anymore). I sure missed seeing a lot of people this year, but on the other hand, especially during the spring, I got to see many other people who I haven't seen in years.
We would "gather" for wine and cheese with girlfriends, who are living all across the world – a thing that was always available, but we never thought of it until the circumstances made us.
Besides, grandma, who is almost 83, also got more tech-smart this year, and now we finally figured a way to see each other regularly.
The international shutdowns kept my spirit of adventurer within the Canadian borders, but it also pushed me, like thousands of others, to explore the glorious and unbelievably beautiful country I live in. I made it to Montreal this summer and set the first steps in the Rockies – an experience that only made me hungrier for adventures in the area.
I also learned how great the area I live in is. I always liked it, but it wasn't until this year when I had more me-time that I started noticing details and appreciating them even more.
There are also two great qualities I discovered and started understanding better in people, in general, and also people around me. First, is the creativity we were witnessing throughout the year. Not only did people find ways to achieve things despite anything, but the smartest minds on the planet were also able to pull out the vaccine in a record time, trying to get us back to our lives as we know and love them.
And while there still might be some hiccups ahead, there is no reason to doubt that we'll get through them.
And the other thing was people's kindness/generosity that despite all challenges just kept growing this year. Be it paying it forward at Timmies (which is one of the most Canadian ways of showing love I've ever seen by the way) or supporting local charities as never before, or caring about others in all possible ways, it was so distinct that I couldn't be more grateful for people I'm surrounded by.
And finally (at least for now), I was grateful for this little break that allowed me to slow down, think about the world around me and reset myself for the next year.
So the game is on and I pass it onto you: what were you grateful for this year?
