It would be easy to write a list of all the things that were unexpected about 2020. All the things that went wrong. We were shuttered in our homes for months. Some of us lost incomes, others dug themselves into debt. Our friends and family got sick. We missed them and the places we hoped to travel to and experience with the ones we love.
It’s been a hard year, and I admit I’ve had it much easier than many of my neighbors. I have a job and was fortunate to be promoted. In my new role, I serve as both a strategic storyteller for my university’s central communications office and support campuswide diversity communications. My daughter, Alba, was born, and my wife and I have enjoyed watching her grow into a curious, spirited, and fearless little girl over the past 10 months.
That’s why, out of gratitude for the ways 2020 has been good to me, I’m writing this list to acknowledge the year’s many bright spots.