What a Year It Has Been

Here it is, Christmas Eve Day 2020. This is the second last Thursday in the year of the Covid-19 Pandemic. We all had a year of challenges, some trauma, bouts of loneliness, having to “Make Do” with what we had on hand or were able to find on line or in the shops which experienced shortages and shipping issues.

We watched the American political drama and the Election that never seemed to end. (I’ll leave my other thoughts unexpressed in this post). We experienced an election here in British Columbia during the pandemic. We read about or watched on TV the rising numbers of people who contracted this virulent disease and our hearts broke seeing the numbers of people who died, or heard from friends or family of loved ones who were lost.

We also saw the love we all feel for our family, friends, and neighbours when quilters throughout the world turned our treasured stashes in to masks; trying to contribute in any way to the well being and safety of our countrymen and women.

We heard the stories of caregivers, working double shifts to take care of our loved ones, holding their hands or a phone to their ear so they could hear “Goodbye. We love you” just one more time. We watched too many of our caregivers and first responders contract Covid while taking care of our needs.

We watched as the fascism, terrorism and racist factions increased with more mass killings, police shootings and acts of terror became more prevalent. We saw tear gas and batons being used against peaceful protesters.

We saw Black Lives Matter bring to the forefront the issues of racism and hatred. We saw police officers take a knee and March with protesters. We saw protesters offering bottled water to the police officers charged with controlling the marchers.

Some of us managed to keep busy and quilt on through the year. Some found they did more than usual; others did less. So many designers tried to help by creating Quilt Alongs and Blog Hops to bring some joy to our days and try to keep us motivated.

It has been a year of challenges and contradictions, but we all learned so much. We are resilient and there is a chance we can learn from the past. We are capable of loving and forgiving. We can make our world better if we keep trying, and listening before we start talking.

I hope your holidays are filled with love, laughter, great food and family time. Social media can make it a time we can gather and see and hear each other safely.