I Chose Joy This Year - An Ode to 2021
“The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.”
How is it already the end of 2021? This is yet again proof that time flies when you’re having fun. This year, I remember hanging up the books, others’ expectations of me, and anything that remotely unsatisfied me to enjoy my life.
I spent time alone, supported my friends, tried love, traveled, made new friends, tried love, temporarily moved out of the country, partied, supported my friends, traveled, tried love again, moved to another state, reestablished community, partied, rinse and repeat. It’s been a fun ride.
The best part about it was just realizing that I have the power to do, to go, and to be. That’s the sentence and that pretty much sums up my year, but I’m going to reflect on it anyway.
Come along with me. :)
January
This was a great month! I just knew what to expect from the pandemic and my life at this point, which gave me stability and normalcy. Staying home, working from the dining room, and doing low-risk activities outside with masks on was life…I was content with this lifestyle.
To add, my sister and the Founder of Don’t Lose Yourself, Inc., invited me to speak at the Don’t Lose Yourself Conference. She paired me with a local Macon pastor, and together we tackled the subject of faith and social justice. Our goal was to help Christians feel empowered to speak out against the injustices of our day without feeling as though they were betraying their religion, and we did this by calling attention to what the text said about what it means to be a Christian and by drawing attention to social constructs that are simply made up. I felt so inspired by her pulling this virtual event off successfully as well as what we were all able to accomplish together.
Unrelated, this was the month I developed an interest in…anime. Namely, Attack on Titan, but throughout the year I would binge Demon Slayer, Vampire Knight, and others…Yes, I do want to hear your recommendations, so leave them in the comments, when you finish reading. :)
February
I dare say the love bug bit me. For the first time in 4 years, I was someone’s valentine, and it felt good. I remember feeling so special and happy to share this evening with someone I adored. How sweet it was to be reminded again…
To add, my parents celebrated 28 years of marriage, and oh baby, it was a celebration. We had an intimate family dinner, catered by a local Black chef, in our dining room, which was decorated with balloons and a table setting fitting for the occasion. Over a seafood boil, my brother and I sat with my parents, ate, and listened to stories from over the years. We laughed, we sang, we loved. #thisisUS
Last but not least, I spoke at my hometown’s MLK service event. I was extremely anxious and wanted to make sure that whatever I said resonated with the people, but I only had a few minutes to share. As a long-winded person, this was hard for me, so I shared just enough to hopefully get Newton County citizens to think and challenge the status quo.
March
“Oh, I’ma do that anyway…cuz that’s just how I am.”
After weeks of contemplating whether I would stick to my tradition of traveling to the Caribbean, I went with my gut and headed to Sint Maarten. It was a solo trip for the most part, but one of the highs was having my mom and cousin/auntie along for part of the ride. We had a ball together, but when the weekend wrapped, I hugged them goodbye and spent 7 more days celebrating another year of my life by the sea.
It was one big adventure, but I mostly played it safe. Since I was by myself, I was too chicken to explore the nightlife so by nightfall my rental was parked and I was in bed. That said, I did an ATV tour, succumbed to a relaxing spa treatment, explored one of the museums, ate out a lot, and spent many a day drinking on the beach and floating in the water. It was so my vibe!
This was also the month I took a day trip against my better judgment to Vegas to celebrate my bestie’s batch with my high school crew. These girls really had me living on the edge, but man it was good to see them and go crazy one time! <3
April
Weddings! From Miami to Clay Co I watched two of my girls marry the loves of their lives. Talk about growing up! It’s really a blessing to celebrate milestone moments with your people.
Obviously, memories were also made with my day ones, and I can honestly say we not new to this, we true to this. Don’t play with us.
May
I did what I said I was gone do. I booked an extended stay in Sint Maarten and lived the life I had only ever dreamed of. This was my biggest accomplishment this year, because I stopped waiting and wanting and instead went for it.
My family pulled up on me for the top of the trip. #love
June
My bestie graduated from Harvard! Once again, memories with my day ones. Damn, I love them boys. <3
Also, I spent the month doing real hot girl sh*t with my sis. ouuuuuuuuu
July
A blur tbh. I do remember touching back down in NYC and going brazy for a weekend. Pros and cons….
August
What have I done… lol Moving back to NYC bout sent me to a psych ward. Crying spells, separation anxiety, and two apartments later, I had to come home and reset for two weeks.
I will say, my girlfriends, sent me a really thoughtful gift in the first week, which once again made me feel loved. I love when people show they care about me.
September
My trip home carried to the top of the month so September kicked off with good vibes. I got to celebrate my dad’s birthday in the flesh, which is always a blessing, plus I got together with the girls.
I also returned to NYC and realized I actually had some unfinished business…which I knew. It was making sense again.
October
ATL HEAUX. UGA’s homecoming celebration coupled with my classmate’s wedding were the staple events. I literally could not have anticipated such a grand time.
I will say, BUGA is wild. Why did we need to pregame for a wedding?!
I actually wrote a blog post, but of course, it’s still in the drafts. <3 In due time I guess…
November
“I want everything in my life to be healthy. ”
Okay, yes, but what does that look like? lol. In November I actually did what felt pleasing to my soul. I cut off anything that was a threat to my self-esteem or my happiness. I laid in bed watching anime during my days off and for days at a time. I didn’t answer my phone. I only left my house when I felt like it. I laughed. I rolled my eyes. I cried. This was a healthy being.
Also in November: I booked a trip to Ghana. Let the games begin.
December
“If you wanna make God laugh, tell him your plans”
All of the plans I made were in vain, as Ghana did not come to pass for me, but I got to spend a little extra time wiith my family. <3
In Conclusion…
Things happen. C’est la vie. Despite the bittersweet ending to 2021, I’m closing the year with gratitude.
I’m thankful to be alive. I’m thankful my family is alive. I’m thankful for an exploratory year full of love, fun, excitement, and adventure.
& I’m thankful to God for keeping me this year. Seriously, He really made sure I was straight and that’s the main thang.
