Isn’t it a good thing we don’t know what is ahead of us! My theme for 2020 was ‘Milestones’ and I had big plans to celebrate every step of the way as 2020 was to be a year of big changes, endings and beginnings for our family. As well as Jarrod turning 21, Abi turning 18 and Ross turning 50, we were expecting to attend Jarrod’s uni graduation at the Great Hall at Sydney Uni, as well as many events surrounding Abi finishing high school. And after 17 consecutive years with a child in primary school, 2020 also marks the end of many years of involvement there as well.
The January bushfires affected our business, and Ross was deployed to the NSW/Vic border between his normal work shifts for several days. The kids and I stayed very close to home, and watching how customers and the general public behaved, I changed my 2020 theme to ‘Extend Grace’. That became even more relevant as the year went on.
Just as the pandemic became serious and we asked the older children to remove some events from their very busy social calendars, Tim’s work at Rebel stood him down and we made the decision to cancel Jarrod’s 21st . Then just as talk of lockdown began, Jarrod woke us one Wednesday morning with stomach pains, and he required an emergency appendectomy later that day. Sitting in the empty emergency room at the hospital was anxiety-inducing for me as the ramifications of requiring treatment just as we were being encouraged to stay away from hospital became clear. He soon had several siblings on hand all day every day to look after him in recovery as their schooling from home started that week and the uni timetable went online.
As I use these letters as a “year in review” exercise, permit me one paragraph of woe. Tim lost two of his casual jobs (however, Rebel called him back in mid-year and he has worked consistently ever since, with today being his first day off in the last 8 days). We closed the holiday park at Ulladulla down to tourists, and spent an eerie Easter Saturday walking around the property alone at a time it is usually full to the brim with guests. So many events and activities were cancelled, such as the primary school’s Art and Craft Festival (where we usually volunteer all weekend and which was to be their 50th annual one), sports such as cross country (which Belle was not unhappy about, but then managed to come fourth in the race held months after first scheduled), school camps (which Sam was very pleased about seeing as his anxiety rises when he is away from home overnight), P&C meetings, the school musical (where Zac and Sam both had roles), school Parliament sessions (disappointing for Belle as the Minister for the Creative Arts), most high school events (disappointing for Abi who as School Captain lost many speaking opportunities), and all the milestone celebrations we had planned such as an 18th , 21st and 50th . We even sat at home and watched an online uni graduation ceremony instead of in the Great Hall, showing it on a laptop computer screen while an online pre-recorded Music Night played on another laptop in the background, with Sam on his saxophone, Zac on percussion and Abi on flute in their school band performances.
It was just so weird to cross everything out on the wall calendar and have next to no plans and nowhere to go, and yet…..I kept a gratitude diary and as we came out of lockdown compiled a ‘Covid Journal’ where we all wrote the favourite things we did/ate/saw/experienced, and the changes we want to continue. It will be one of my most treasured memories of this year, and the universal opinion was how good our family time altogether was. Our puppy is particularly pleased with the new world order, and I can probably count on only one hand the number of times she has been left home alone in the last nine months!
While Abi, Zac and Belle did not have many chances to serve in their school leadership roles, they did have many occasions to deepen friendships, even it was sometimes over Zoom or Facetime! Scheduling of rooms in our house was often required to allow for a quiet space to attend Zoom conferences, and both Jarrod and Tim did their uni exams online at home in both semesters. Ross found the time this year to finish the granny flat which is now furnished and ready for guests (if you ask Ross) or tenants (if you ask Nik). Nik realised just how much time she spends ferrying children to activities once that was no longer possible, and very reluctantly picked up the pace again after lockdown. We both enjoyed MOST of the schooling from home experience – Ross supervised art and cooking classes, and sports lessons, and Nik all other subjects. Thankfully I work mostly from home anyway, although that did bring its own challenges fitting that in around the school timetable and people being here… All. The. Time…..
Jarrod completed his internship in December and is now applying for full-time work, so will take a break from further studies after many continuous years of excellent effort. He intends to keep up his schedule of tutoring Maths students too, so we expect to see a little less of him next year! Tim has just completed second year of his Bachelor of Business, which he manages to fit in around his Rebel shifts, tutoring maths students and soccer games. He also completed a subject at Morling College this year, sponsored by GBC where he was involved in kids’ ministry before lockdown (aside: I feel a lot of conversations I have these days are subject to the timeline of “before lockdown” or after lockdown!)
Just before lockdown (see, there I go again), we were able to attend a night church service where Abi played keyboard, joining the worship team for the first time, accompanying Jarrod who was leading on guitar. While performance opportunities quickly became limited or non-existent this year, Abi did audition for the Con (over Zoom!) and in July was offered a place. Now she has her HSC results it is official, and she will be attending the Conservatorium of Music next year to study a Bachelor of Music (Music Education). This was a year of many highs and lows for her, which she has managed well. Over the course of August and September we chose material and had a formal dress made for her, just in case the Year 12 formal could go ahead, which it did in mid-November. Our mother-daughter post-HSC trip to New York had to be cancelled though of course, and we look forward to being able to rebook eventually.
Isaac continued to enjoy tennis comps and baseball. He also continued with band, percussion lessons and percussion ensembles and picked up singing lessons in addition to guitar lessons. He was slightly devastated when he couldn’t get his braces off in April as the orthodontist shut down, but was very relieved to be one of their first visitors when they reopened. Zac and Sam have just completed years 9 and 8, respectively. Both agree they could have given more attention to their schoolwork this year and intend to work harder next year (I feel this is a common theme at this time of year, and I should really record the conversation to play back to them when school starts the following January).
Sam continued with soccer, baseball, band, and acting and saxophone lessons. He found the lack of sport and soccer games on his agenda to be very frustrating this year. School friends have introduced him to Oztag and Abi’s boyfriend has encouraged his love of basketball, meaning there is even more to compete with his attention to schoolwork. In November he completed his first paid acting role, a blink-and-you‘ll-miss-it part in the Dettol commercial, now airing mainly during the cricket. Watch until the end to see Sam’s hands being sanitised!
Belle loved her last year of primary school, despite the many disappointments 2020 brought. She has a lovely group of friends, continued soccer and dancing, and also took up Oztag. This quieter year has given her more space and time to create, and her grandparents introduced her to the artist Bob Ross, so we now have several canvases of landscapes, some skateboard art, and easels and paints and craft items lying all around the house! Belle was sad to finish primary school, the end of which leaves me quite nostalgic (and also with some extra free time as I step down from some volunteer Treasurer roles). She is nervous about high school but also looking forward to it.
As I write this and reflect on the year, restrictions are coming back and the complacency we have felt recently is replaced by uncertainty about what the future holds. But that is ok! We are healthy and looking forward to a restful summer break, with lots of opportunities to extend grace to others. We hope you too are able to enjoy time with loved ones this season, and wish you a beautiful Christmas.
