Life can change a lot in four years.
Like so many others in America, and around the world, I spent the better part of last week bound to the television for a glimpse into the change that is so desperately needed.
Putting politics aside for a moment, I found myself overcome with emotion and gratitude for our great nation, at a time where unity is so important. It also made me think about just how much has changed, for both the good and the bad, in the last four years. Did anyone else see the election as a time to reflect back on their last four years from a personal standpoint?
On Halloween, my husband came home from work early so that I could head over to city hall and vote early. I remember it being a monumental moment because I was outside of the house without my newborn and at the same time practicing my civic duty to vote in the United States.
When Donald Trump was elected President, I had been a mom for exactly 90 days. Our mornings consisted of snuggle time and nursing on the coach where my love for TODAY began. So much has changed since that fateful election and again, I’m not talking about the state of our country.
On a personal level, I managed to figure out how to be a full-time working mom who balances daycare pick ups with little sleep and not enough hours in the day. Some of my greatest accomplishments include storing breastmilk in a NYC mini bar while traveling for work and having to pump on an Amtrak train. When my son was just nine months old, we received a difficult and startling developmental delay diagnosis which led to nearly two years of early intervention. It pales in comparison to what other families have faced, but took a significant toll on my physical and mental well-being while constantly questioning if I was the one to blame.
Right after he turned 2, an unfortunate incident occurred that led to a man with a gun on the campus of his school. Until I received the “campus has been placed on lockdown” text that day, I hadn’t even thought about school shootings. I screamed aloud at my office out of fear.
I’ve learned that life as a parent can be a lot of ebbs and flows. I’ve prioritized, and then reprioritized again to figure out self care and my personal relationships around me. I’ve binged more Netflix shows that I care to admit. Other times, I’ve gone months without watching television. I read one book the year my son was born. In 2019, I read 17.
As for the year that will affectionally be referred to as nameless from here on out, it has really thrown my entire orbit into whack as routines have changed and I’ve been forced to adapt to a number of pivots I didn’t see coming. How is it possible that four years has passed so quickly yet so much has changed since then?
