Dear Mommy,
Well, it's pretty difficult to not stop for a minute to reflect that exactly a year ago I was finishing my trip up to the States. I had the privilege (at the time did not know how much) to fly back to the States for 3 weeks last late Winter. My trip started with a great weekend in DC at AIPAC with my dad (and the first confirmed cases of COVID-19), followed by a trip to Dallas to see my favorites, Denver bc I couldn't not see the mountains, Dallas for the best pre-COVID wedding and reunion of a lifetime, and back to TLV.
Landing back in Israel and shuffling off straight to a 2 week quarantine, was needless to say the least of the surprises when only 3-4 months later was I (along with the rest of the country) finally released from the first of more to come lockdowns.
But even though its been a year since I was last in America, last with my sister and Dad, family friends, family, friends etc, and that sucks... it has been one of the biggest years of growth. of finding True grit. and keeping perspective and a glass half full always. A couple of weeks ago my uncle asked how I was doing and I responded honestly with an, 'im doing great, really keeping busy, working hard, slowly starting to see life and get back into the real world again'. He responded with i'm really glad, but I have to say I feel really bad for you, for anyone that was single during this past year. At first I was taken aback. Because I don't think it's been for me anymore difficult than it has been for anyone else. If anything, I look around at those with little ones with all the energy and for a long time had no where to send that energy except right back at their parents.
It has been a year of many hours on end spent alone (at the time in a windowless box LOL no joke), spent reading, spent chatting via FaceTime/zoom, etc. But as I reflected on what my uncle said to me, I also reflected on this year. People have asked me how I was able to build a successful business during a global pandemic, during one lockdown after another. But for me, it wasn't so much about building the business as it was simply working hard, showing up, hustling, and taking advantage of every opportunity either afforded to me, or that I sought out.
At the end of the day though, to me, in my mind, I didn't have choice. Just like I couldn't really afford to feel bad for myself that I was alone for 4 months inside a windowless apartment. Im not generally a black or white, this or that, yes or no kind of a person. But when it comes to doing what I have to do, my glass is always full and there's never really an alternative. Failing in the general sense of the word wasn't really on the table. At least not on mine. I knew what I wanted to do, I knew what I had to do.
As I'm sitting here organizing my thoughts, planning ahead and organizing my week, in shock that tomorrow is March 1st, and anxiously awaiting my second shot on Thursday, it's hard not to also feel grateful and appreciative. So my long and confusing thought processing, if you were able to follow along, word vomit sharing of my feelings here this morning and message for you all is this:
count your blessings. find the silver lining that keeps you going. always take a breathe and a step back when things get to be too overwhelming. be appreciative of what you have been afforded and worked for. and always, always, always keep pushing forward. reach out to your people when you need them. you are stronger than you give yourself credit for. you are tough. set your new goals for the week. and don't forget to get up and get after it.
Wishing you all a happy, slow, and meaningful Sunday. Happy almost March. stay warm, stay healthy.
xoxo
JMW
#pushingalong #forevergrateful #missingfamilyandfriends #sendinglove #stayhealthy #goaloriented #love
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