January 2020

(Written on February 1, 2020)

Dear January 2020,

Before you came along, I thought I knew complete exhaustion. Thanks to you, I now have new thresholds. In the past month:

I cried with cherished friends as they talked through saying goodbye to loved ones.

I started an unexpected friendship with someone with whom I share plot points in some of my hardest backstory. We both needed to know we’re not alone. 

I supported family members in saying goodbye to a beloved pet and in preparing for major surgery. 

I was on-hand while a dear friend select a wedding gown. 

I managed a significant project at work.

I drove 3000 miles and spent time in 3 different states.

I was not home on a weekend for 4 weeks. 

As with all periods like this, I crashed and burned, learned, and grew. I had some of the most honest conversations of my life