Yes,

I’m speaking of the year that is quickly coming to an end.

Honestly,

2020 has been the best year of my life.

No,

I didn’t accomplish all of my resolutions.

It is public knowledge that I did not get elected to Congress. What is not publicly known is that I decided to cut my daughters hair as opposed to continuing to fail at braiding. I have stayed closer to 220 pounds rather than 230 on our home scale so that’s a win, and I think I am a better person today than a year ago.

I don’t mean to marginalize, trivialize, or understate the awfulness that this virus has brought upon individuals, families, cities, and towns big and small across our world but it is only because of this virus that I was given the most valuable gift of all,

time.

I was gifted over 9 months and counting of uninterrupted time with my wife and daughters as we have been practicing common sense and social distance.

Over the previous 4 years The Tuckers had developed a pretty incredible routine with me being a stay at home parent. However, if I did have one wish it was to share all these incredible moments between my daughters and I with my wife. Then,

Monday, March 16th

It was the first day of my daughters Spring Break from preschool and it was also the day my wifes company beat Governor Holcomb to the punch when they declared a work from home order. An order that kept getting pushed back each and every month until September when they declared that all employees would be working from home until June of 2021 at the earliest.

Ok.

Now what?

Pre-pandemic our days were running pretty smoothly. Missy would go to work and I would try to do all the things that most moms do.

Back in March when all this COVID-19/Corona virus/Pandemic stuff began to really grip our nation I wasn’t sure how the ladies of the house would respond. First of all, how would Missy be able to work from home? Our house isn’t very big. There really isn’t a spot you can go to be left alone or not hear what else is going on in the house.

Next, and most worrisome for me was the simple fact that my wife has always had a pretty strong case of nosophobia. Not sure what that means? Me neither I’ve never looked it up until now. It’s a fear of getting sick. I originally thought she was a germaphobe but for the sake of classification and with 23 years under our belts I think it has more to do with worrying about becoming sick. Hence, the nosophobia diagnosis. Which always made her winter months a lot more stressful, anxious, full of worry, and that was before we had kids.

Missy’s response to all this craziness has been excellent and I’m not sure how considering all the above.

Now, for our daughters.

Like most parents over the last year a pretty hefty amount of our time has centered around school at home. What are we suppose to do with our daughters. Now, I’m a kid at heart. I’m a former educator so I wasn’t all that worried about picking up the curriculum for our two preschoolers. At that moment they were 4 and 3. School albeit preschool was more about getting them even more socialized and used to the structure of the school day. How could Missy and I replace that all important aspect childhood development?

Luckily for The Tuckers they have each other to play with and we are going through all of this together. We are growing, learning, loving, and evolving as a family, as friends, as spouses, as parents, as kids, as a mom, and as a dad.

I try not to overthink things and have enjoyed every moment thus far.

Together.

Isn’t that the most important thing of all?

Happy New Year,

Ken