2021's Bright Spot

I remember the mixture of hope and excitement I was feeling around this time last year. I could not wait to say goodbye to 2020, our "lost year," and start 2021, buoyed my  belief that everything will be better when we ring in the new year.

Wishful thinking.

My 2021 was not the happy and light year I wanted it to be. There were many causes for tears and anguish: life was still on hold because of the pandemic, there were health scares, work was more stressful than normal. This year was also one of personal grief as I lost two close friends in a matter of weeks, one because of a lingering illness, the other because of COVID. Both losses shredded my heart into  pieces.

What saved me was Negros, specifically, that small plot of land we now call "home." I've always thought of myself as mentally tough, but the pandemic, with all the difficulties it brought, was just too much, and crying for no apparent reason became a normal thing for me. Honestly, I don't know how I would have survived another year of fear and anxiety cooped up in the city with nowhere to go and nothing to do except work and household chores. 

While movement is still limited and the threat of a pandemic still hangs above my head, I can only be thankful to have a garden filled with flowers to take pictures of when I got bored, pets that keep me company when I go for a walk, and a beach to swim in on weary times.

Thank you, Negros. You were the bright spot of my 2021.

My dog Bureche, who deserves a special mention because she did bring sparks of happiness to my year.