Today is the second day of my end-of-year long weekend. As 2020 draws to a close and I sit in my big chair and knit while listening to Critical Role, what I feel right now is a sense of peace.

To feel that at all, I realize, is a huge privilege in this day and age. I’m still employed and working from home at a non-stressful job. I’ve stayed in good health all year. I’ve lost none of my friends or family to COVID-19, and the only family member that did get it recovered with relative quickness. After a few months of anxiety I’ve settled into my groove and am at least coping without panic – this is helped, of course, by all my friends and family following safety guidelines to avoid spreading and contracting the virus.

My bestie and I have managed to hang out as safely as possible, meeting once a week at the outdoor seating of our local Starbucks. We stay masked, we knit, and we catch up on things and have face to face contact that even introvert me needs. Our friend group is still able to game via Google Hangouts and Roll20, and I’m greatly enjoying running Pugmire for the gang and playing Humblewood where another friend is behind the GM screen.

Other than creating adventures for Pugmire, my creativity otherwise has taken a bit of a nose dive. I didn’t do NaNoWriMo this year, mostly due to the pandemic, but also due to the shitshow that was the Presidential election and the continued fallout that’s stretching into at least early next year until the inauguration. I’m hoping, as the vaccinations continue, that the fear of catching/spreading the virus will subside enough to let my creative brain explore again.

It’s been a quiet year for me, thankfully. A few health scares with the cat (she’s fine now), still working on my Achilles tendinitis, I’d like to see my place a bit cleaner but, all in all, the quiet has led up to this peaceful feeling of tonight. I’m thankful for the quiet, and the privilege that’s kept me afloat through this horrible year. I know others around me aren’t so lucky, and my thoughts go out to them as we cross over to a more hopeful year.

Stay safe, everyone. Wear a mask. Maintain social distancing. Get the vaccine so we can survive this, because we still have so much work to do. I love you all.