Good Riddance to 2020

When I first heard of the Coronavirus and the subsequent shutdowns in early 2020, I figured we'd be inconvenienced for a month or so and then things would go back to normal. Boy, was I ever wrong! So, here we are about to usher in the New Year and we're still dealing with the effects of COVID. And sadly, we likely won't come out of our new, restricted world until mid-way through 2021 at the earliest!

Putting it mildly, 2020 has been a unique year. We have all been affected by COVID in some way. We all know someone who has had it. And we all probably know someone who passed as a result of it. One of my good friends lost her mom shortly after she tested positive for COVID earlier this year. Due to COVID restrictions, only immediate family members were allowed into the funeral home. We had to pay our respects in the form of a drive-by viewing. From inside of our car, we did our best to express our condolences as our friend stood next to her mom's casket and waved to us from the inside. It's hard enough to lose your mom, but to be so isolated during the grieving process seemed to be especially cruel. 

Working in the healthcare industry, I have seen some of the folks who work on the front lines. The respect that I have for these people can not be measured. They have worked countless hours throughout this pandemic, putting their own health at risk to care for others. Seeing death and despair day after day has a way of mentally defeating even the strongest of us. But the healthcare workers still get up and do it, time and time again. Amazingly,  I have heard people say that "this is what they signed up for". What a heartless thing to say. Where would we be if people "didn't sign up" for jobs like this? These people are heroes in every sense of the word, in my book. 

When Time Magazine prepared to name their "Person of the Year" recently, I thought that the healthcare worker would have been a shoe-in. But Time thought Joe Biden and Kamala Harris were more deserving. I personally think they got it wrong. But that's just my opinion..

The COVID vaccines were manufactured and released at a record pace. The Pfizer and Moderna versions have already hit the streets with AstraZeneca's on the horizon (maybe it's already out?). While it's probably too early to tell how effective the vaccines will be, at least it gives us a little hope for the future. The drug companies take their share of criticism. But I think they deserve a lot of credit for expediting these vaccines.

The next round of stimulus checks are due to be received in the next week or so. This will be a bit of welcomed relief to those who are struggling to make ends meet. But why are checks being sent to people who have not been financially affected by the COVID shutdowns? Maybe Congress should have spent more time trying to get money into hands of struggling Americans instead countless other pet projects. Yeah, I know... that's the way Washington works. But it certainly doesn't make it right....

On a positive note, the stock market is somehow at a record high. When the market tanked earlier this year, I thought it would take years to get back to even. But amazingly, stocks came roaring back and most people's retirement funds are up considerably since the beginning of the year. I've been investing for a long time and this has been the craziest year I've ever seen. If things start opening back up by mid-2021, we could see another economic boom. But things don't always goes as planned, so be careful.

We will progress into 2021 with a degree of uncertainty. Will COVID run it's course and finally leave us alone? Will a second strain come along and set us back even further? Will the vaccine rollout be effective enough to transcend us back to the "old normal"? When, if ever, will we be able to wander around in public without that damn mask?

The last thing I'll say to 2020 is, "Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out!"

I wish all of you a very Happy New Year and hope that 2021 will be a much better year than it's predecessor. As we move forward, let's try to help each other out instead kicking each other when we're down. Never underestimate the impact of simply being nice. If we all work together, there's little that we can't accomplish. Wishing you and yours the best for the upcoming year!

kw