It’s been a year. A whole year since we started working remotely. A whole year of virtual (and sometimes hybrid) school. A whole year of the COVID-19 pandemic. A whole year of wondering, “will we survive this?” The answer being, “… mostly.”

When I took my computer and monitors home from work a year ago I honestly thought that we would be home for a month, maybe two, before we returned to work. Boy, was I wrong!

At the time, given the uncertainty of this whole thing, I thought, “Well, I may as well take my kids out of daycare to save some money.” That decision wasn’t as temporary as I thought it would be. I spent the next eight months caring for my four kids at home and working full-time.

My work looked different during that time. I wasn’t working to plan and execute future events and conferences, but instead working full-time to cancel all the events we had from April through December 2020… or at least try to salvage them as we pivoted some to virtual platforms.

In August, my oldest went to kindergarten virtually, which was the most difficult thing to get him to understand. It was no way to start his first year in public school. Even when they went back face-to-face it was temporary. The whiplash of virtual school, then in school, then virtual school, then in school has left my 6-year-old frustrated about his routine, or lack thereof. This is especially important for him given that he craves routine as a 6-year-old with autism.

In the middle of remote schooling and after working for six months to try and salvage anything that looked like it could bring in revenue for my department, I was furloughed. It was both the most shocking and least shocking thing to happen to me this year. While I had talked incessantly with my husband about the possibility of being furloughed, when it actually happened I was the one in disbelief. He was the one picking my jaw up off the floor.

Luckily, three weeks later I was employed again and thrilled to be part of a familiar team that was one of my clients. It has been a wonderful fit for me and a seamless transition as I continue to work at home, though now with less children at home to care for.

It has been a strange year for everyone. It has been full of ups and downs. Yet, going back to “normal” just doesn’t feel right. I no longer crave the “normal” rat race that was my former life. While I have always thrived on constant movement and rushing from place to place. I’m thoroughly enjoying the slower pace of life. Now, my “slower pace of life” still involves four kids ages six and under, so it’s certainly not as slow as other people’s lives may be, but this is normal now. Working at home is normal. Schooling at home is normal. Keeping the kids occupied with games, toys, crafts, and television is normal.

It’s been a year… a crazy year, but it might just be the year that I needed to recognize that I was too busy, doing too much, and too stressed. For all the bad that has been going on in the world, all the lives lost, the chaos of virtual school, and job upheaval that this has caused so many, I feel hopeful.

I’m hopeful that that we will get back to people being employed, the virus will be under control, and kids will be back at school. I’m also hopeful that we’ve realized that a slower pace isn’t so bad. Despite the challenges of the pandemic it brought a calm that I didn’t know I needed.

The time spent with my kids at home was both incredibly stressful and especially impactful on both them and me. Spending time with them unexpectedly was the best thing for our family. I’ve learned that time is a thief, once the moment has passed, you can’t get it back. I managed to make memories with my kids that I wouldn’t have otherwise had. I’m looking back on this year fondly, with memories, laughter, and joy.

Sure, the pandemic has been bad, but also… it’s been a year… to treasure.