After a Turbulent 2020, Let’s Give Thanks and Take Time to Stop and Smell the Roses

I don’t know about you, but I didn’t mind seeing holiday decorations go up before Thanksgiving this year …

Usually, I mutter, “Why are they rushing it?” But I think we are all over 2020, clearly one of the most difficult years any of us will ever experience in our lifetimes.

And yet, rushing any part of our lives makes me sad because life is so beautifully fragile and tenuous. I have long been one to “smell the roses” and pull back from the swirl of high-paced living whenever I can. This year gave us ample opportunity for that.

And as long I could smell, I figured I didn’t have COVID!

We have been shocked, shelled, and shaken. Far better writers than I will be writing about 2020 for years to come. But I want to take a moment today to talk about the beauty we found amidst the pandemic: the peace and love of our homes.

We rediscovered real estate in 2020 in a surprising way. We spent way more time in our homes, loving them more, tending them more. That Viking stove suddenly got put to use. We connected with family — sheltering with them or staying in touch via technology more than ever. Many families moved out to smaller communities or to the ranch together. Technology became our ally, our friend, and the catchphrase for 2020 will be forever “you’re muted.” 

Families grew: 33 percent of Americans have considered pet ownership, Fifty percent of Millennials, 33 percent of Gen X, and 25 percent of Boomers craved furry companions. Can’t hug people anymore? Hug a furry baby. In fact, the CandysDirt.com team got a new mascot in August, Butter Belle the Goldendoodle!

We pivoted and adapted, as the survivor species do.

We at CandysDirt.com hope that 2020 has not been terribly painful for you, that you have not lost loved ones or suffered in any way. We hope that you have adapted, pivoted, survived, and stayed healthy.

This Thanksgiving, more than ever, we want to count our many bountiful blessings, which of course includes our dear readers and sponsors, who have helped us grow so tremendously, exponentially this year. We treasure your friendship. 

Enjoy a blessed, safe Thanksgiving holiday. If you have family coming in, be cautious, perhaps dine al fresco as the first Pilgrims did. Let’s hope we are in the “home stretch” of this pandemic as we nestle into our beautiful homes with loved ones for the holidays. I mean, where else would be rather be?

And I hope your dinner table is adorned with roses: please do stop and smell them.