I know that this has been a really hard year for all of us. However, I've learned a lot throughout this year and I've been reflecting on it a lot lately. Some things this year have been hard to accept, but sometimes we have to go through tough times to really learn new things about who we are and what we can accomplish. These are some of the things that I've come to learn or realize this year. 

I, myself, have taken on a second job to offset my husband's hours being cut, and I never in a million years thought that I would actually enjoy it. It's afforded me the opportunity to meet new people, make new friends, and understand what our health care workers are going through on a daily basis. While I didn't expect to take on a second job, it brings me joy to be able to serve our residents and their families and let them know that we are here for them and that they are worth it. 

I've also learned to take care of myself this year. While I'm still a work in progress, I've opened up a lot more this year and I've been able to connect more with my husband. I've enjoyed some of the in-depth talks that we've had and coming up with a plan for our family for the next few years. We've been able to set goals, learn how to cut out and cut back on things we don't need and figure out what we've been missing from each other. Since I work the weekends, we've come to enjoy the time that we get to spend together and are able to enjoy just being with each other. We're worth our time together and it's helped our love grow stronger. 

I've learned how important it is to check up on our loved ones. My Mother-in-law cares for her elderly father with alzheimers and has not had a break for years. She selflessly cares for him day in and day out, and I've seen the toll that it has taken on her this year. While I can't be there, as she lives over three hours away, I've tried to call and check up on her as much as I can. We're very close, and I consider her to be more like a friend than a Mother-in-law, and I care deeply for her and my Papa-in-law's wellbeing. I offer as much as I can, to come up there and give her a break. And while she never takes me up on the offer, I'll never stop calling to check on them and offering to help. 

There's so much more that I've learned this year, but I'm holding those things close to my heart. I'm really excited to see how the rest of this year plays out, and what else I can learn from it. I'm learning to turn negativity into optimism and it really has changed my outlook on this year.