2020 Hindsight

Here we are, Day #366 of 2020.  A year with so much promise when it started.  A year that has disappointed for so many reasons.  So many things missed out on in 2020: First calendar year in my life (MY LIFE!) that I have not seen my parents or sister in person Longest time in my life (MY LIFE!) that I have been away from the Penn Campus Fears of getting the virus has curtailed so many activities Hugs In-Person Church Services Town Picnic Alexa's Prom Alexa's Senior Season of Softball (and Anna's Soph Season) Alexa's Senior Trip (this one was a bug bummer) Alexa's last months of HS, when things are "done" and the class can chill together Alexa's NSO at Penn Alexa's First Semester at Penn and the list goes on BUT, 2020 also brought us a lot.  And, on 12/31/2020, I would like to remember the good times! Dad being cancer free.  Praying for continued Health The relatively good health of all of our family members (again, prayers for that to continue) Ale...

My 2020 Hindsight for 12/30/2020 is A "Down" Day.  I put down in quotation marks because I am not down today, on the contrary, I just finished an evening of Japanese takeout, chocolate pudding pie made by Anna, and a family game night.  I am smiling as I write this.  But, it was a "down" day in that we never really got "up" today.  Slept in, and did not have anything we HAD to do today.  Even my excursion/quest around the supermarkets of Camden County looking for Ground Mustard was fun because I got to laugh and listen to classic rock on the radio with Anna (I am loving her interest in the music of the 70s and 80s and her new record player).  It was another needed vacation day.  I am not going to lie and say I did no work at all, I did catch up on my email and do a few quick tasks....but, again, we did not HAVE to be anywhere at any specific time and the downtime was nice and needed.  May you all find the time, as this crazy year finally comes to ...

The highlight of the 364th day of 2020 was the Marco Polo transmissions received from Sarah and the Girls on their trip to the Cape May Zoo.  The beautiful animals and the cute narration of the videos made me smile on 12/29/2020.  My 2020 Hindsight is it's a Zoo out there!  They say that the world is a zoo (meaning hectic and stressful, I think) but I like to this of a zoo as a place for animals to have sanctuary and a place that shows us the beauty of nature, even during a pandemic.

12/28/2020 is Day #363 of 2020.  The last palindromic day of the year.  So I knew it would be good and it was.  Started off well-adjusted.  Not mentally, but at the chiropractor.  Then, I completed some errands.  And, as it hit Noon, I got the call.  My 2020 Hindsight is On-Call Again!  Yes, for one week, I have returned to the VPUL On-Call Team.  Filling the need during an extra long Winter Break for staff.  And I am happy to do so!  I love being part of a solution team, especially in times of need.  I am actually hoping it will be a quiet week but, if not, I am ready to take the calls!

12/27/2020 started with the last Sunday Church Service of the year.  The 42nd week of online Church on the 362nd day of 2020 (and, if you saw my past prediction, only 38 more to go!)  Then, after a day of errands, we came home and watched some football (Eagles, yech!) and movies (WW84, meh!).  But, what was more remarkable is that I realized that, on Saturday, I sent zero emails.  That's right, zero, zilch, nada.  I used sent emails as a gauge of how much I have been working.  Read emails do not count because a) I read them on my phone and b) I get SO many political and spammy messages.  Most of them are deleted without ever being read.  On Sunday, in fact, I sent only FOUR emails.  Three for Church (Attendance Report and Financial Reports for end of month) and one to the Penn Band Alumni Listserv.  So, friends, that is ZERO emails over the Saturday and Sunday Weekend days.  My 2020 Hindsight is as unplugged as I will ever be. ...

Elf, Sound of Music, Christmas Vacation, The Polar Express, It's a Wonderful Life, Love Actually, and so many more.  We spent the 361st day of 2020 in front of the TV watching movies.  We watched the Croods original movie on 12/26/2020 (to prepare to watch the new one) and then got started on more classics (we've been watching all week and have more to go).  My 2020 Hindsight is Christmas Classics.  So many great movies (and music, but that's for another Hindsight) around Christmas time and I am so glad my family likes to, and can watch them together.

Day #360 of 2020 was not the Night Before Christmas.  No, it's 12/25/2020, Christmas Day.  And, once again, we found a way to keep traditions alive while still remaining safe in pandemic times.  We missed the family crowd at our Traditional NJ Walters Family Christmas Breakfast, but we appreciate Jackie still making sure we got it.  We enjoyed watching the Cousin Gift Exchange, but it was different on Zoom, and we missed the post-opening hugs.  And, after a Zoom with the CA Sherrs (which is normal for our Christmas), we had a nice family dinner.  Except the family was just the four of us (and Skylar and Talia), instead of the usual 14-16 people around two tables.  But Sarah cooked an amazing roast and Anna helped her make the rest, and Alexa and Anna decorated cookies, and we all dined together and watched movies and the Charlie Brown Christmas Special (and even an NFL Football Game).  My 2020 Hindsight is And to all, a Good Night!  I wish bl...

I listened to Christmas Music as much as I could on the 359th day of 2020.  Because 12/24/2020 is Christmas Eve and, although we could not do all of the traditional activities we have been doing for over a decade, we were able to start some new traditions and modify some of our old traditions to Covid protocols.  On the radio today, I noticed a lot of Christmas Songs are about what people want for Christmas: Their Two Front Teeth, You, A Hippopotamus, a Convertible too (Light Blue), you get the idea.  It made me think.  What do I want for Christmas.  My 2020 Hindsight is All I Want for Christmas......is.......well I do not really need anything material.  I am wishing for a kinder, more empathetic, more compassionate 2021 (from all involved from neighbors, to colleagues, to clients, to politics).  I want this vaccine to be effective and safe and for it to allow a return to activities that are outside of the house (and, hopefully, back on Penn's Campus)....

It's been an emotional week (and it's only Wednesday!)  12/23/2020 is the last workday of the 2020 year.  One of the benefits of working at a Higher Education Institution is the "Special Winter Vacation" between Christmas and New Year's and, this year, because of the pandemic, Penn has given us three extra days.  So we are now off from 12/24/2020 and do not go back into the office until 1/6/2021.  But that's not really the reason for emotions on the 358th day of 2020.  The semester has ended for Penn (me at work, Alexa at School), Temple (Sarah at work), and Colls HS (Anna).  And I am reflecting on how crazy of a semester it has been.  How hard the teachers and faculty have had to work to deliver quality education.  How hard nurses and doctors and transport and maintenance and custodians and reception have had to work to keep our healthcare institutions open.  How food service locations have had to transform their method of delivery (includin...

I got some sad news on the 357th day of 2020.  We got a voice mail message in response to our Holiday Card mailing.  It was a message informing me of the recent passing (10/11/20) of my former colleague, Judy Gensib.  Judy, quite frankly, was one of the nicest human beings ever to grace planet Earth.  She was the Asst. Manager in the Dining Services Office when I started working there, as a 17-yr old Freshman, in 1986.  And, throughout the next 12+ years (she retired in late 1998), she was a formative person in my growth and development as a person and as a professional.  I cannot count the number of life lessons she graced me with, in her kind and caring way.  Especially after I became the Manager in the Office in 1994.  I was young, inexperienced in a managerial role, and, well frankly, a little hot-headed and immature (yes, friends, even moreso than now!)  Judy probably kept me out of more trouble than I even knew, while remaining calm, co...

So 12/21/2020 is the Winter Solstice.  That, of course, means, in the Northern Hemisphere, it is the day of the year with the least light.  Now, this could be something to dwell on, but it gave me a different 2020 Hindsight for the 356th day of the year: Let the Light Shine.  They say it is darkest before the dawn, but that means that dawn is on the horizon.  And, in this season of hope, I do have sincere hope for the future.  Starting tomorrow, the days will be filled with just a little more light each day.  We have the vaccine and we will soon stem this pandemic tide.  We will also soon turn the page on 2020 and, I think, 2021 has the chance to be a MUCH better year (Philly Sports Teams notwithstanding).  So, my friends, let's seize the light in our lives and LET IT SHINE!  And, tonight, I leave you with this Bruce Springsteen song about letting light shine.  I really like this version (and not just because it was a rock band with a so...

The 355th day of 2020 could not have started off better!  12/20/2020 was Advent 4 at Old First UCC this morning and the service was wonderful.  It was meaningful, interactive, and. most of all, musical.  My Hindsight 2020 is Meaningful and Magical Music.  Music introduced me to the Church and music is one of the major enjoyments of Sunday Services.  I feel so lucky and blessed that our Church has the staff and congregants who work together, weekly, to make meaningful and magical music together.  And. for your listening pleasure, this week's Offeratory.  We Are the Stars.  Thanks for the collaboration Anna, Carrie, Sarah, Marjorie, Suzanne, Richard, and Bob!

  We ran out of the front door and on to the porch at about 7:15 on the 354th day of 2020.  Why?  Because, on 12/192020, the Oaklyn Fire Department continued its traditional escort of the one and only Santa Claus through the streets of Oaklyn.  And, when we heard the sirens, we jumped up and went outside because our 2020 Hindsight for tonight is Santa's Coming!  It does not matter that I am 51 years old, the idea that Santa is coming down our street makes me turn into 9-year old Adam and wave franticly at him as he drives by and yelling to him "Merry Christmas!"  And he "Ho Ho Ho'ed" and waved back.  And I was happy.  Christmas is one of my favorite seasons and I am glad that this part of it was not affected by the pandemic.  Oh, we did not get to take a picture and we did not get a candy cane, but Santa came down our street and made us smile!  Who's that coming down our street?  MUST BE SANTA!  Right, Mitch Miller (and the Gan...

12/18/2020 is the penultimate palindromic day of 2020.  Day #353 and you all know I am always looking for what makes these palindromic days special.  Well, it was not hard to find today.  Tonight's 2020 Hindsight is the power of prevention.  This afternoon, Sarah was able to drive over to a Public Health Center in Philadelphia and get her first dose of the Covid vaccine.  And then, on FB, all day I have seen a plethora of pictures of Penn Nursing alumni and alumnae getting THEIR first doses of the vaccine too.  and, frankly, it brings me hope.  This is not the end, we have a long way to go, but this is the beginning of the end.  We are slowly bringing an end to these pandemic times.  I am thankful for all of the scientists across the world whose work led to the development of the vaccine.  I am thankful for all of the healthcare heroes and heroines who are getting their first doses.  And I am hopeful that this truly IS the beginning...

One of my best memories of Christmas in my family of origin's house was the cookies.  Oh, my mom made the best cookies and we made plates of them to give to people when we visited or just because.  And, on the 352nd day of 2020, the package from California came.  My mom and sister made all the family standards (and some new ones too!) and sent an amazing package to us.  So, on 12/17/2020, my 2020 Hindsight is C is for Cookie.  Memories flooded back and I enjoyed them very much.  Thank you Mom and Abigail!

The saying goes, the days drag on but the years go by quickly.  And, I have to admit, as I sit here on the 351st day of 2020, I have to agree.  On 12 /16/2020, I was thinking about that fateful Monday, a year ago, when Alexa found out she was accepted to Penn Nursing.  We were so anticipatory of what 2020 had to bring for her.  But I NEVER thought that what we have just experienced was going to happen.  Losing the last half of her Senior Spring, including Softball, Prom, Class Trip, and with an amended set of Graduation events.  Then this Fall semester, this STRANGE Fall semester as her initial semester of college.  My 2020 Hindsight is what a long, strange year it has been.  But, then I also look back and think of all of the unique experiences we have all had.  We are healthy, remote college has not been better than what we might have feared.  We have had an extra four months of Alexa at home (which is probably better for us than it is ...

Day #350 of 2020 was a day with all four Sherrs at home.  Well, Alexa did go babysit for a few hours, but we were mostly all home.  And, the best part of 12/15/2020 was we all had dinner together.  AND, since Sarah was off of work today, she made lasagna!  Family, Lasagna, All together, nice!  My 2020 Hindsight is Home Cooking.  Not just the food we ate, but the home we shared together and the company we kept.

So, on the 349th day of 2020, I thought a lot about the previous day.  Because, on 12/14/20, I was thinking about 12/13, and the celebration of the 100th birthday of Sara Weaver.  Sara is Sarah's Maternal Grandmother.  So Anna and Alexa's GREAT Grandmother (and she IS great!)  They had a distanced celebration for her 100th, but there was a quick chance to get a picture (inside and masked) and looking at the pic gave me my 2020 Hindsight, The Power of 4G.  No, I am not talking about a cell phone (I mean, I think Grandma Weaver was one of the last houses that still had a "party line" phone.)  I am talking about this wonderful 4-Generation Picture.  Fox/Weaver/Walters/Sherr.  Glad my girls are able to experience this wonderful woman and LOVE 4-Gen pictures.  The Power of 4G Indeed.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GRANDMA!

According to Wikipedia: In religion, 40 seems to be shorthand for “a long time.” Jesus spent 40 days fasting in the wilderness being tempted by the devil; the great flood lasted 40 days and 40 nights; the Jewish people wandered the desert for 40 years.  Also 40 days was the period from the resurrection of Jesus to the ascension of Jesus and there are theories that Moses' life is divided into three 40-year segments, separated by his growing to adulthood, fleeing from Egypt, and his return to lead his people out.  You may ask why I am so focused on the number 40 on the 348th day of 2020.  Well, as we completed services (on Zoom) for Old First on 12/13/2020, I noted that this is the FORTIETH WEEK we have been worshipping online.  40 weeks, wow.  And that has certainly been "A Long Time!"  My 2020 Hindsight is it's been forty weeks.  40 weeks, wow (I think I said that already!)  The gestation time for a child.  Nine Months (1st Service 3/13/20, t...

We ran around a lot on the 347th day of 2020.  12/12/2020 was a Christmas Errand day.  But, in the pandemic times, it did not include a mall, or much time outside of the car.  And, the masks were red and green as well.  My 2020 Hindsight is Christmas Shopping, Covid Style.  Masks, Mail Order, and no Malls at all.  Frankly, Christmas Shopping may be one of the few things easier in 2020 than in years before.  Hope your errands are going well, as well!

I am going to stick with the stereotypical Jewish Cuisine theme for day #346 of 2020.  Because 12/11/2020 is National Have a Bagel Day.  And, as luck would have it, my wonderful wife was working from home today and prepared me a...... BAGEL!  There is something so satisfyingly about a nicely toasted, nicely buttered (I do not like cream cheese, I know, I am strange) bagel to start one's day.  My 2020 Hindsight is Bagels for Breakfast.  It's amazing how one simple thing can start the day off on the right foot.  I think I may have another tomorrow!

I go to church regularly now, but it was not the case growing up.  But I would not say I was not a religious person as a child.  I just had no framework for what I was thinking and believing.  But, growing up, I DID know I had Jewish roots.  And I grew up celebrating holidays of many traditions.  Hanukkah is not a big holiday for Jews as Christmas is for Christians.  BUT, as 12/10/2020 was the first night of Hanukkah, I found myself on the 335th day of 2020 on a family Zoom call, eating latkes and laughing.  Nothing better than eating fried potatoes with a smile on my face.  Especially with family.  My 2020 Hindsight is Holiday Latkes.  It was just great to see my family on the West coast and commune over food.  So glad we were able to be connected, even though we cannot be together.  HAPPY HANUKKAH ALL!

Something strange happened on the 334th day of 2020.  During my meetings on 12/9/2020, the power kept blinking in our neighborhood (I thought it might just be our house, but logging into Facebook let me see many of my neighbors were having the same issue!  It was annoying, but then I was snapped into reality.  I received an email with a Consumers Report petition to petition the government to support those who cannot afford to pay their Internet.  It made me think of my 2020 Hindsight: Connectivity is Crucial.  I sometimes take it for granted so maybe the power blips were reminding me not to do so.  And I DID complete the petition, because I DO believe that Internet connectivity is rapidly becoming essential.  Right after food and shelter.  During these Covid times, it is needed for learning, working, shopping, and, yes, entertainment to let us escape from the reality that is sometimes hard to handle.  So, if you can, look at my FB wall, find ...

12/8/2020 marks the loss of two amazing people.  40 years ago, we lost John Lennon.  And 20 years ago, we lost my maternal grandmother, Ann Bechtel.  But, instead of being sad, I want to remember them for the wonderful people they are.  One wrote music that focused on love and peace (two things we need more of in the world today) and one was a constant positive presence in my life growing up.  On the 343rd day of 2020, my 2020 Hindsight is A Beatle and A. Bechtel.  I will also see my grandmother's smile when I think of her.  Her smile, her laugh, the huge AC blasting air in the Summer (oh so nice), her hugs, her food (especially, for some reason, her cheesy scrambled eggs), and her fuzzy coat.  She was the personification of peace and love (connection to the Beatles) and one of my favorite memories is sitting at the foot of her chair as we played "When I'm 64" for her 64th Birthday (yes, I know it was McCartney, not Lennon).  The best smile, ...

Walt Disney was born on December 5, 1901.  And so, since 12/7/2020 is the first Monday of December, Walt Disney Day is celebrated today.  And finding this out made me think.  In January, it'll be six years since our last family trip there (with the Penn Band).  And that has another connection on the 342nd day of 2020.  Tonight was also the Penn Band Elections, where the membership of the Band chose their next set of leaders.  And, I am not going to lie, I hope that, once we can all go places again, that the Band chooses to go back to Disney and we can return.  That's right, my 2020 Hindsight is some day we will return (to Disney).  That will mean that the Band is traveling again.  That will mean that we can go places again.  That will mean that we will partake of the Magic.  I miss Disney, but I know we will return.  With the Band and/or as a family.  And knowing that, again, gives me hope for the future.  A future th...

Words, in the English Language, often have multiple definitions.  On the 341st day of 2020, my thoughts have been consumed by the word sanctuary.  Dictionary.com lists 6 definitions of the word sanctuary and I find these three as the most meaningful to me.  1) a sacred or holy place. 4) the part of a church around the altar; the chancel. 6) immunity afforded by refuge in such a place.  We started off 12/6/2020 on Zoom Church (it is Sunday after all) and, when in Zoom Church, our Living Room becomes our sanctuary.  But today was special (and not just because it was Communion on the 1st Sunday of the month).  Today we got to go into Old First Reformed UCC.  Yes, the Church Building at 4th and Race.  No, we did not hold services there.  Alexa and Anna were recording some music to use in an Advent Service on the Grand Piano in the sanctuary with the Christmas Tree in the background.  And we brought Michael a Christmas Tree bec...

Everything is different in 2020 (Thanks, Covid!)  And, on the 340th day, the Oaklyn Tree Lighting Ceremony occurred, but not in the manner it usually does.  We got our town ornament from Common Grounds, and wrote our family greeting on it (well, Anna did, she has the best penmanship), and Sarah and Anna placed it on the tree.  Then we watched the ceremony, on FB Live, from home.  So my 2020 Hindsight for 12/5/2020 is Tree Lighting Time!  We're getting our tree tomorrow.  We still got to see Santa being escorted to the ceremony by the Oaklyn Fire Dept., and the feeling of Christmas is starting to be palpable in the neighborhood.  Again, another hopeful feeling during these strange, strange times.

I am up very late on the 339th day of 2020.  Yes, it will say I posted this at 11:59PM on 12/4, but it is really 1:30AM.  Why, you may ask?  Well, we had to wait for Alexa to get home from work and then we sat down, as a family, and caught up on our DVRed shows.  Yes, my 2020 Hindsight is TV Time!  One thing the pandemic has made me do is count my blessings for what we do have, in a year that things have been taken from us.  But, what remains is the main foundation of my life.  The four Sherrs spent time together.  Watching some of our favorite shows.  Giving commentary and laughing and sometimes even crying.  There's no place like home!

As I do on most days, I woke up to Breakfast with the Beatles on the 338th day of 2020.  And, on 12/3/2020, Chris Carter told me about all the "special" days celebrated today.  Today, in fact, is Let's Hug Day.  Which brings me to my 2020 Hindsight, I Miss Hugs.  Yes, I get them at home, and family hugs are great.  But I miss hugs at church, hugs with friends, happy hugs, comforting hugs.  Yes, I admit it, I am a hugger.  And I hope that, by Let's Hug Day 2021, we can celebrate properly.  Tonight, I send virtual hugs to you all!

12/2/2020 was a nice evening in Chez Sherr.  Because we gathered together and watched the Tree Lightings.  First the Philadelphia Tree, in front of City Hall, and then the Big Tree in Rockefeller Center, an annual tradition that still happened amid Covid (albeit without the usual crowds).  So, on the 337th day of 2020, my 2020 Hindsight is The Power of the Tree.  If you have been reading the past few days, I have been focused on hope.  Hope for the future is a thing we all need.  And, tonight, the twinkling lights on the trees gave me hope.  And I look forward to hope continuing in the holiday season.

12/1/2020, the 336th day of 2020, is also World AIDS Day.  It makes me think and reflect, and get my 2020 Hindsight: We're Gonna Get This Virus.  I remember the 80s, when AIDS was just ravaging the nation.  It seemed like a situation that would never get better.  And, today, I think we all feel the same about the current virus ravaging the nation these days.  But, as I said yesterday, I have HOPE!  The vaccines are on their way and, although it will take a while, I think there is positiveness (and I do not mean the test results) in our future.  Again, hope is a great thing to have these days.  Soon, my friends, soon.