This has been one of the most challenging years for most of the people I know. I don’t have to explain all the reasons that 2020 blows chunks. However, I hate viewing the world through this lens all the time. No matter how much it’s justified, and boy is it justified, I still don’t like it. Instead of dwelling on the bad things, I want to take a moment to list some of the happy things.

A week and a half ago, I adopted a kitten. His name is Hamilton, although I do call him Ham more often than not. This admittedly includes singing it into song lyrics at him. He’s a monster. I’m clawed from face to foot. He’s a kitten, and I suppose I don’t have to say much else. One of the best kitties I know was the same way when he was little. I have high hopes for his ability to calm as he ages. Plus, he does love to cuddle.

My sister had a baby a month and a half ago. I think she’d win the cutest baby of 2020, but maybe I’m a little bias. I’ve been lucky enough to visit her several times. Watching her personality grow has been a fantastic gift. She’s currently finding her voice. My sister is an inspiration. She’s become a mom for the first time, and it’s beautiful. I don’t tell her this, but sometimes when I’m terrified of the world, I think about her. I think about how she would react, how she would tell me it’s all going to be okay, and I draw strength from that. My niece has two wonderful parents, and she may not know it yet, but she’s a lucky little girl to have so much love in her life.

In the last several months, I’ve had a lot of extra time on my hands. There has been a lot of organizing and cleaning out clutter. Although I still feel like I could part with more. There’s been more reading and baking and trying new recipes. I’ve found time to meditate again. Best of all, I’ve had time to remember why I love to create things. I’ve decided to turn my oracle deck into a full tarot deck. The experience has been spiritual. I love creating, and combining making art with this other piece of me has been lovely. I’ve acquired some new decks, which are always fun. I’d love an opportunity to give readings more often, and I’m thinking of querying this deck when I’ve finished. I never set out to publish it professionally but, why not dream big?

While not everything this year has been peaches and cream, in fact, a lot of it has sucked. I still think there are a lot of things to celebrate. Moving into October and officially starting the holiday season, I don’t want to dwell on what was. I don’t want to get caught up in all things I can’t control. Big or small, personal or national. Every day I strive to be the best version of myself. For now, that’s enough. For now, I’m happy. I’m smiling, and I think that while so much of 2020 has been a shit show, right now, in this moment, I’m doing okay. In this moment, my heart feels overjoyed, and life is worthy of a grin.