2020 is certainly not what I envisioned it would be. Who could have predicted that a pandemic would dominate our lives. That in a country of plenty we would be hunting for toilet paper and paper towels. Wearing a face mask would be commonplace. There would be so much hardship and loss. It has been a crazy year. With everything that is happening, it is so easy to focus on the negatives and get frustrated but I have seen many positives as well.
I believe the number one positive that I have witnessed is the generosity of people. Whether it’s donating money or giving of their time, reaching out to people in need-I have seen so much compassion this last year. I sit on 3 different boards, each one has been overwhelmed with how giving people have been. When times are tough it’s awesome to see people come together.
Life slowed down, families were able to spend more time together. How is that a bad thing? People are able to work from home. Not having to get ready in the morning and driving in rush hour traffic. How much money was saved on gas and not eating out for lunch? Zoom meetings-they used to intimidate me but now they are second nature. The stories I’ve heard of embarrassing moments during said meetings have made me laugh. I understand that it’s been hard for parents and kids to deal with homeschooling but this is a memory that they will share down the road. We’ve been disappointed at not being able to get together with family & friends for birthdays, holidays and events but think how much more we will appreciate them when we are finally able to.
A huge positive for me has been the real estate market. Because of Covid-19 interest rates are staying low which has made for a very busy year. I am grateful that our industry was allowed to stay open. Showing homes was different but again, these are memories that my clients and I will talk about later on.
We are living history right now. Eventually things will return to some type of normal but I hope we learn from this. Keep making time for your loved ones, reach out to those in need, be grateful for what you have. I hope that 2021 is a great year for everyone!