Ten Days, Ten Things No.10

We made it.

t's December 31st, 2020; New Year's Eve, and we're here. We made it. It's been a year filled with bumps and curves, but there have also been plenty of bright spots and things to celebrate. And while they might be little, ordinary things, these are the moments that matter the most.

We're ready for whatever 2021 will bring. The good, the bad; the highs, the lows. Good-bye 2020. Happy New Year.

There's no context for this picture that would attract a multitude of likes via social media, but that's the point. It makes me think of the Ferris Bueller quote, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."

This is the tenth of ten days where I'm going to share one positive experience that I've had over the course of the year (2020). This year has been hard, no doubt, but it hasn't all been gloom and doom. There have been highlights. And when you are looking for positives, you start to find more of them.

I challenge you to come-up with your own list of things. Maybe it's not 10, maybe it's five, maybe it's three, or two, at least one. Look for the good. You'll find it; it's there. Sometimes you just have to seek it out.

Ten Days, Ten Things No.9

Sports weren't cancelled.

My son stays pretty busy participating in youth sports - football, basketball, and baseball. I also stay pretty busy helping coach all of those teams. I'm confident that he loves it; I know that I do.

We were finishing up our winter workouts for his baseball team and gearing-up to start the season when the pandemic hit. Like most things, our baseball season hit pause. We were unsure if there would be a baseball season. I doubted that it would happen. And as March turned to April and then April turned to May, it was becoming clear that my son was missing sports. Beyond the character traits and work habits that sports build, they also serve as physical, social, and mental outlets for the kids that participate.

Fortunately, in June, his baseball season started. And other than the delayed start, we were able to play the entire season without any problems. It was the first glimpse that we had of a return to normal, and it was great. Soon after the baseball season ended, we started flag football. We were also able to play the entire flag football season without any issues. Basketball hasn't been so seamless; there have been many bumps in the road (finding gym space where we are able to practice, having a deep enough rotation of players for games and tournaments, our Governor hitting the pause button on all youth athletics). Nonetheless, we're still playing basketball; it's been different, but we're playing.

This is the ninth of ten days where I'm going to share one positive experience that I've had over the course of the year (2020). This year has been hard, no doubt, but it hasn't all been gloom and doom. There have been highlights. And when you are looking for positives, you start to find more of them.

Ten Days, Ten Things No.8

School and Work.

My work is in a school. As an elementary school principal, I'm an educator and a leader. I enjoy the work that I do. Even in 2020, I enjoy the work that I do. It should be noted that I really enjoy the people that I am able to work with. Those two things are absolutely related.

Like most professions (and things), work has been different. It has been really weird, and it has been really hard. Fortunately, I am surrounded by exceptional colleagues and co-workers.

Our resilience has been pushed to the max. We've had to test our patience, our perspective, and our purpose. Although no one's fault, the lack of answers and direction is at times maddening; the plethora of new tools, platforms, and methods to learn is exhausting. The past nine months have been extremely uncomfortable. Yet, we're still here. Through the discomfort we are able to optimize our learning and our growth, and I am confident that as a result of this experience we will be stronger and better than we ever were before.

This is the eighth of ten days where I'm going to share one positive experience that I've had over the course of the year (2020). This year has been hard, no doubt, but it hasn't all been gloom and doom. There have been highlights. And when you are looking for positives, you start to find more of them.

Ten Days, Ten Things No.7

Travel?

Traveling with my family is one of the things that I love the most. When I first started brainstorming this list of things, travel was going to qualify only for the potential of a big trip being on the horizon in 2021. Upon further review, we've been able to travel in 2020. In a year when we've been living through a global pandemic, we've been able to travel. 

Last January, we spent a long weekend in Florida visiting family and going to Universal Studios. That seems like such a long time ago; a lifetime ago. Then, over spring break, we took another trip to visit my brother in Seattle. Unfortunately, we ended up being pretty limited in regards to what we could do while we were there as COVID concern amplified at a rapid rate.

We managed trips to both Florida and Seattle in 2020. That's both coasts. We're blessed; I'm aware, and I'm thankful.

*Bonus: we also took trips to Decorah where we spent time hiking, canoeing, and biking, and Des Moines for my son's baseball team's state tournament.

This is the seventh of ten days where I'm going to share one positive experience that I've had over the course of the year (2020). This year has been hard, no doubt, but it hasn't all been gloom and doom. There have been highlights. And when you are looking for positives, you start to find more of them.

Ten Days, Ten Things No.6

Running.

Last year, I ran a marathon. This year, I had planned to run another marathon. I started the training plan, but had a hard time following the prescribed runs. So it was probably just as well that the marathon that I had planned to run ended up being cancelled.

Despite this, running has been one of my highlights of the year. Going into the year, I had a goal to run 2020 kilometers in 2020. That equates to running 1,255 miles. With only a few days left, this year, I have far exceeded that goal. I will end-up having run over 1,600 miles in 2020. This is the most that I've ever run.

I love running. I love the way that it makes me feel both physically and mentally. And despite so many things being cancelled, this year, running hasn't been one of them. Many races may have been cancelled, but running was not.

This is the sixth of ten days where I'm going to share one positive experience that I've had over the course of the year (2020). This year has been hard, no doubt, but it hasn't all been gloom and doom. There have been highlights. And when you are looking for positives, you start to find more of them.

Ten Days, Ten Things No.5

Time has slowed down. 

Typically, we stay pretty busy. Between school, work, activities for our kids, and the occasional plans with family and friends, free time can seem like an uncommon luxury in our household.

Since March, however, our go-go-go pace hasn't been continuous. There have been periods where it has come to a halt. And while I wouldn't want this to become the norm, the change of pace has been okay. As a family, we've done things that we wouldn't have normally done. 

We've been gifted more family time. Unlike most things, growing-up hasn't been put on pause. Our time with our kids isn't infinite. This additional time with them, these additional "mundane" moments shouldn't be taken for granted.

This is the fifth of ten days where I'm going to share one positive experience that I've had over the course of the year (2020). This year has been hard, no doubt, but it hasn't all been gloom and doom. There have been highlights. And when you are looking for positives, you start to find more of them.

Ten Days, Ten Things No.4

We've remained healthy.

In the midst of a global pandemic, my family has managed to maintain good health. I'm of the belief that this good fortune is part luck and part good decision making. Good decision making in regards to things such as exercise, diet, water consumption, rest and sleep, spending time outdoors - those things make a difference. Furthermore, in this era of COVID, wearing a mask, being extra diligent about washing your hands, social distancing, and limiting opportunities for exposure outside your home are things that are within our control. My family has tried to do these things to the extent possible; we've also had some good luck on our side.

*Bonus: we aren't out of the woods, yet. But at least there appears to be light at the end of the tunnel in regards to the pandemic that we're living through.

On a hike. We've probably done more hiking these past nine months than ever before.

This is the fourth of ten days where I'm going to share one positive experience that I've had over the course of the year (2020). This year has been hard, no doubt, but it hasn't all been gloom and doom. There have been highlights. And when you are looking for positives, you start to find more of them.

Ten Days, Ten Things No.3

My daughter, Olivia, started playing softball.

I don't think that I've ever pushed either of my children to do something that they don't want to do. I've tried to allow them opportunities to do what they've wanted to do. Ryne has been consistently involved in football, basketball, and baseball camps, lessons, and leagues from an early age. I believe that he loves it.

His sister, Olivia, has spent many nights and weekends attending his games and cheering him on. She has done soccer, gymnastics, and dance in the past, but never seemed to become fully invested in any of those activities. This past summer, however, she decided that she wanted to play tee-ball. It's fun to think about how watching her brother in some way has inspired her to get involved.

The condensed tee-ball season went well, and she seemed to really enjoy it. Next thing you know, she's joining an 8U softball club and playing fall ball.

It is no secret that I love sports. And I believe that participation in sports is the ideal platform to build character. So needless to say, I am pleased to see Olivia eager to play softball.

*Bonus: in 2021, she plans to start playing rec league basketball.

Family photo after Olivia's first softball tournament.

This is the third of ten days where I'm going to share one positive experience that I've had over the course of the year (2020). This year has been hard, no doubt, but it hasn't all been gloom and doom. There have been highlights. And when you are looking for positives, you start to find more of them.

Ten Days, Ten Things No.2

My wife, Amy, got a new job. 

More significantly, she got a new job in the Iowa City CSD. The Iowa City CSD is also where I am employed, and it is where our children attend school. This means that our entire family now operates on one calendar; we share all of the same days-off, breaks, vacations, etc. Furthermore, while our model of school has transitioned back and forth between being online and hybrid, it has been helpful (as we continue to navigate life and school through this global pandemic) for all of us to be in the same model at the same time.

*Bonus: Amy's teaching job is at the same school where our children attend.

First day of school photo; they're all headed to the same building.

This is the second of ten days where I'm going to share one positive experience that I've had over the course of the year (2020). This year has been hard, no doubt, but it hasn't all been gloom and doom. There have been highlights. And when you are looking for positives, you start to find more of them.

Ten Days, Ten Things No.1

The Last Dance 

Not much was happening during March, April, and May of 2020. Schools were closed and sports at every level had been put on hold. Things were quite bleak with no definite end in sight, and ESPN capitalized on this opportunity. Every Sunday night, from April 19th to May 17th, the 90's Bulls captivated us for two-hours at a time with The Last Dance.

While the acclaim for the Last Dance was highly positive, it also served as a fond trip down memory lane. Like many kids who were growing-up in the 1990s, there was no team that I loved more than the Chicago Bulls. This was an opportunity to relive those memories. And the best part, I watched it all with my (then) nine-year-old son who was equally enthralled each Sunday evening.

The Last Dance was appointment viewing for my son and me.

This is the first of ten days where I'm going to share one positive experience that I've had over the course of the year (2020). This year has been hard, no doubt, but it hasn't all been gloom and doom. There have been highlights. And when you are looking for positives, you start to find more of them.

I'm Going to Start Writing

For the past five months, I haven't done much writing. In fact, I haven't published anything since the end of July. How come? I love writing. It's an activity that is therapeutic for me. Yet, I've been lacking inspiration.

Why not? Fear. Full disclosure, it's been a fear that others might perceive me writing as a poor choice of my time management. Why would I spend my time writing blogs when I could spend my time doing something else (?). I've let the fear of what other people might think prohibit me from doing something that I enjoy. 

For me, writing is self-care. It's modeling vulnerability. Furthermore, it is a communication tool that provides people an insight into my thinking and my values. As a leader, these are important things. 

I'm on day three of my winter break, and I'm going to start writing.

2020 is ending, and it has been a year. Over the next ten days, each day, I'm going to share one positive experience that I've had over the course of the year. This year has been hard, no doubt, but it hasn't all been gloom and doom. There have been highlights. And when you are looking for positives, you start to find more of them.