You can do hard things! It is a phrase you will hear me often say to kids. However, this year, I honestly felt like kids were looking to adults everywhere and whispering those words to us. 

I don’t like it when I am experiencing pain, and someone tells me, “Everything happens for a reason.” Maybe I expect more from the person delivering that message to me or because it doesn’t feel genuine. I know what they are getting at, but you won’t hear me say that to anyone about 2020. No one likes to feel pain, no one wants to hurt, and  I think we can all agree that everyone felt pain and had to do hard things in 2020!

As I reflect on the impact of  2020, I know for sure that this year’s lessons made me a stronger mom, a better wife to my frontline working husband, a more flexible small business owner, and a more compassionate human being who loves to serve others. I think it is powerful when we reflect and pay attention to the prominent lessons in our lives. The ones that we don’t forget, and we are proud of when they are over.  At least, that is how I feel about the following lessons from 2020.

• A shaky economy inspired me to get creative in my businesses and serve my community in new ways. 
• COVID-19 made me aware of the impact we have on others and taught me to be grateful for my health.
• The mandatory shutdown of clinics made me appreciate my gut instinct years ago when I knew we needed to learn how to provide online intervention. Knowing that we had collected the data before we knew the pandemic ramifications gave me the confidence I needed to continue to serve our community. 
• The reality of watching kids and families struggle to figure out the new normal of the school made me step up and actively work to address the hurt and offer new services. 

While these lessons were challenging, to say the least,  they taught me things that brought about change that leaves me excited for 2021. I also close out this year, knowing that 2020 was exactly what I needed to make effective changes to serve you better. I believe that our most challenging moments and most profound failures are the catalysts we need for future success. So on this New Year’s Eve, I hope you join me in believing that 2020’s Setbacks

will make 2021’s best comebacks, and we will be better than what we say goodbye to tonight. 

So from my family to yours. 

Happy New Year!

Kyra