2020 Vision

Do you remember seeing many photos of people wearing the 2020 eyewear during New Year’s Eve? Many posted photos of them showing this. I personally did not join this bandwagon and did not really think it was significant – until now. What does it mean when you say you have 20/20 vision? It is defined as being able to see things clearly within 20 feet away. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, “ ‘A person with 20/20 vision can see what an average individual can see on an eye chart when they are standing 20 feet away,’ says Dr. McKinney. McKinney is an ophthalmologist and glaucoma specialist at Eye Health Northwest, Oregon City, Oregon. An eye chart measures visual acuity, which is the clearness or sharpness of vision. The top number is your distance in feet from the chart. The bottom number is the distance at which a person with normal eyesight can read the same line.” – That said, I interpret this as being able to see quite clearly at a certain distance. So the year 2020, we expected to see things more clearly, with a more positive perspective on what the year had in store. Indeed, I learned to see things way more clearly this year.

This year has taught us many things. I will use the word “us” instead because I believe that all of us have many realizations and new learnings this year. Here are some of them:

Family is precious like no other. Since the pandemic started, we are asked to stay at home most of the time and make sure that everyone at home is well, safe and healthy. We make sure that everyone is able to cope with the fact that everyone is stuck at home - hence being able to coexist is important. We start to do things together more, we pray together more, we dine together ALL the time. Your family is your safe place. You are dealing with this crisis with them and you are an instrument to make sure that they get through this just fine too. You rely on them for comfort, you rely on them for security when you are anxious about all the unknowns of this year.

Life is short – LIVE IT. Anybody can get infected with this virus. I personally know quite a number of people who succumbed to Covid. How cruel this is. People are gone, just like that – not even being able to say goodbye to their loved ones because no one is allowed to be with you when you are in the hospital. So we need to LIVE. Live for those who care about us. Live for those who depend on us. Make things more meaningful at home, spending time with those you love. Show gratitude to them. Tell them you love them and show them that you are there for them too.

BE KIND. Kindness is the best way to show love to one another, to your children, your spouse, your household staff, your neighbors and even those people in the same industry as us. Chad and I try our best to show others in our crafting community that we care and that we are ready to help them out in any way. Like we always say - We will get through this.

This is the best time to learn new skills or take up a craft that you like or need. I remember at the start of the quarantine bread was scarce! I needed to find a way to make sure my family would have bread to eat. I started baking! It took my mind off of the stress and the anxiety. Choosing something to do to destress is helpful in alleviating anxiety as your focus is diverted into doing something that challenges you to do well in – or to make it work. A lot of people started enrolling in online baking classes and even online culinary schooling! Metals & Gems will be offering online jewelry making classes soon too! How? Stay tuned!

2020 is almost over, with just 4 more months to go! This year gave me a clearer vision on things that are really important. Though this year has been tough, it has taught us to be resilient. It has taught us to adapt and go back to basics. We will get through this.

We are in this together.