New York City is loud! When the city went into lock down last March, it was so strange to see images of usually busy locations totally empty. There was peace and quiet, and it was disconcerting. A year later, the city is back to its regular bustle. People are out and about, and it’s noisy again!

After a LONG year, we’ve also had a tough winter. I can finally feel a change in the air, but gosh, I am ready for Spring! There is a sense of possibility and hope at the end of Winter. However after the dumpster fire that was 2020, I think we can all use some hope and possibly, don’t you?

I am in the middle of a long day. I should have been more mindful about my energy level and my calendar, and my desire to say ‘yes.’ So, my brain is not functioning at its optimal capacity. I don’t have wise words to share this week, but I DO have my Weekly Lists. So here they are. Care to join me?

This afternoon I had another no-show for an intro call with a colleague. So I called my mother because I just needed to vent. I am really trying to complain less, however we need to let our disappointments go. So it’s nice from time to time, to just share without an expectation of solving any problems. Just vent and let it go.

When the world started shutting down last March, there was a pause in a sense of normalcy. In November, I realized that I still needed to I update my driver’s license, however I could not get an appointment until today. Since I was headed down to the Penn Station area, I planned a day. A bit of normalcy.

I really hate how divided we are, and I truly do not understand how anyone could have supported the current President. However, with the changing of the guard, I am optimistic. With Kamala Harris, we have lots of firsts. First woman, first Black and first South Asian VP. It does feel like a new day dawning.

Accountability has been on my mind recently. After the insurrection at the US Capitol last week, many politicians who supported the president or who let it happen just want everyone to move forward. They’re calling for unity. And I’m calling for accountability.

I really wanted to say “Good Riddance, 2020. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out!” However, this amazingly challenging year, was a huge year for growth. Yes, there was a ton of really crappy things, but also lots of good, as well. And so I just say “Farewell, 2020.”

It’s the season of GIVING. I watched One Night Only The Best of Broadway on NBC.com. One of the songs included was “When You’re Good to Mama” from Chicago. I really am a giving person, and I don’t need validation about that. However, in the back of my head, I think “what’s in it for me?”

It’s hard to believe that it’s December. Time was relative this year. At times I felt stuck, and at others it felt like we were speeding along. I really like to take stock in December, and figure out where I’ve been and where I want to go.

I’ve been dinged for saying ‘thank you’ too much. When I was a manager at a restaurant in Berkeley, CA one of my staff members from Ireland used to repeat “thanks” every time I said it. It was if to say, ‘gosh, you say thanks, a lot!’ This week all bets are off, as it’s THANKSGIVING on Thursday.

Fall is a time of change. In the grand scheme of the year, it’s the beginning of the end. 2020 has been a tough one. The change of season brings great change, however there are lots of shifts. It looks like the tide is turning.

Welcome to Election Day. A day we we’ve been waiting for, dreading, anxious. It’s hard to believe how far our nation has come, and how far it has fallen. And as I reflect on the current state of our nation, it’s hard to believe how great the divide actually is. Our pledge of allegiance talks about “one nation, under God indivisible,” however we’re severely fractured as a country.

You know that game two truths and a lie? It’s where you offer 3 statements and those playing with you have to guess which is the lie. Well, I feel we are in an extended match with our current administration. We read the news to understand what’s going on in our country, and we cannot tell truth from fiction. It’s as if leadership and honesty don’t matter anymore. It’s not only frustrating, but perplexing.

This past weekend was the Jewish holiday Rosh Hashana. It celebrates the harvest, it gives us a chance to examine our lives and reflect on our righteousness and it starts the new year. Here’s to a sweet new year!

I speak a lot about embracing calm. However the the idea of embracing fear is equally important. I felt the RNC lead their convention last week from a place of fear, and in a recent premarital counseling session, one of the pair was surprised how much fear affected their life and their decisions.

Over the weekend, my father gave me a mood ring. It started off as dark blue, and then turned brown and then green. Talk about mood swings! Since I’ve been home it’s just been black. Which I just looked up. Black is ‘stressed and very tense.’ Really?!? I started laughing. This surprises me, actually. Am I stressed and tense? Not really.

There have been so many times in my life when I have not felt settled. Over the past 4 years, I’ve worked hard to create a stable home and career, but now due to COVID and a renovation project that’s STILL not complete, I’m back in limbo.

I’ve been tired lately. It could be the summer heat, it could be my irregular sleeping habit or it could be something else. While I could complain about the shut down of the event industry, I am thankful for little work I do have, and the flexibility to take the time I need. I am able to nap in the middle of the day if I need to rest and recover.