Joy and Hope in the Dark of Winter
2020 has been far from what many of us hoped for as we clinked glasses on New Year’s Eve 2019 — not really what we had in mind when we looked forward to the new “Roaring ‘20s.” I would vote in favor of banning the word “unprecedented” from our collective vocabulary going forward (given its overuse this year) — and would be absolutely delighted to have a more uneventful 2021 (though we have a lot of making up to do with missed concerts, graduations, celebrations and festivals).
Perspective is everything. Several months before COVID-19 appeared on the scene in Idaho, I delivered a TED-style talk at a women’s conference on this very topic — emphasizing the power of perspective in navigating any given situation. Little did I know that a few months later, 2020 would test the lessons I shared through a global pandemic, disruption, isolation, toilet paper shortage, cancelled concerts/vacations, economic strain, and a dreaded cancer recurrence in the family.
I’m not gonna lie — at times this year I have found myself in a very dark headspace grieving the loss of what I hoped 2020 would be. But when I force myself to flip my perspective to focus on the abundance of this year, it’s really been an amazing year! So in the spirit of holiday gratitude, I share with you some 2020’s brightest spots for our family.
Our biggest family news of 2020 was Kaitlin’s engagement to Hayden Meier. Hayden pulled off a huge logistical feat by proposing to Kaitlin on a remote beach in Stag Bay, Alaska, and then leaving her speechless and in tears by pointing out that we (her family) were watching from a boat close by. As a mom, it was one of the most emotional moments of my life to be there to witness this unforgettable proposal, and I couldn’t be more grateful that Hayden invited us to be part of it. Thanks to the Meier family, we were all able to enjoy an engagement celebration together followed by several days of epic salmon/halibut fishing and wildlife watching with Tanaku Lodge! Now we are in full-on wedding planning mode, looking forward to the Meier-Briggs merger in October 2021!
Natalie was unable to rodeo this year with COVID restrictions, but has kept a really positive attitude while going through her senior year of high school without football games, homecoming dances, pep rallies and the usual senior festivities (praying she will have prom and graduation to finish out the year). She has set her sights on the future, with acceptances to Boise State, University of Idaho, Lewis Clark State College, and College of Idaho. Scholarships are starting to roll in, and she is weighing her options for college next year. She’s also developed a serious interest in cars, and has enjoyed tricking out her VW Jetta with blingy accents and surprising the boys her age with her knowledge about cars.
My mom experienced a lung cancer recurrence after 17 years cancer-free, but after enduring 7 weeks of concurrent radiation & chemotherapy, her follow-up PET scan in early December showed the tumors had disappeared! Her heart has begun acting up with periodic atrial fibrillation causing several hospitalizations, but she’s on medication management for that now and doing OK. Aside from having to be on a “leash” to an oxygen tank, she’s in really great spirits and is excited her hair is growing back!
Dad finally decided to retire from a lifetime of farming after this season, and while it was pretty emotional to harvest crops for the last time, he is looking forward to a successful equipment auction in the spring and then turning attention to a cute new cabin property up by Sumpter, Oregon. The deal isn’t finalized yet, but I’m excited for Mom & Dad to have a fun place to escape to, with plenty of projects to keep them busy in this next chapter of their lives.
On the professional front, in January I graduated from the Trinity Health Strategic Leadership Program, a 2-year fellowship program that included 6 trips to Michigan and Washington, DC. Awesome development and networking opportunity for me, and I’m so grateful to have gained so many new friends across the country through this program. Additionally, in May I began a 2-year term as Board Chair for the Idaho Association of Commerce and Industry, serving as the organization’s first female chair.
Nature & wildlife photography adventures have been a saving grace to my sanity this year (being locked up at home is rough!). While planned trips to Canada, Maui and Scottsdale had to be cancelled, I did manage to escape to the Sawtooths several times, and visited Grand Teton National Park this fall. Highlights were photographing a family of foxes near Stanley this spring, and the famous 24-year-old Grizzly 399 and her four cubs this fall in Grand Teton National Park.
While I was unable to display my photography canvases as Saint Al’s Artist of the Month in July due to COVID, I’ll be back on the schedule for 2021 with plenty of time to capture even more images to choose from. I’ve enjoyed starting to offer my images for order on canvas or metal, and I’m tremendously grateful to the friends and acquaintances who have ordered them this year, as well as those who ordered calendars. I’m not really interested in developing a photography business at this point (I already have two jobs I love!), but will continue enjoying adventures to “recharge my batteries” and making images available for my friends to enjoy — and order if they see one they would like on their wall.
Thank you all for your friendship, support and love through the ups and DOWNS of 2020. It’s meant everything to me to belong to a community and stay connected even through this time of painful separation. Through the darkness and divisiveness of 2020, I choose to focus my perspective on the light of hope and joy awaiting us in 2021!
Hugs, blessings and cheers to you this holiday season,
Corey
