There is no doubt about it – 2020 was a crazy year, filled with multiple devastating events. But, despite all of the bad that happened, there were some things that managed to give us hope to carry on. Somehow, while the world was struggling, we were able to keep ourselves afloat by recognizing how resilient and strong we are when we work together and help one another.
So, if you are struggling to remember anything good that happened last year, read below to remember 12 encouraging events that helped us to get through a challenging time.
January – We fought the wildfires together
January was our first taste in 2020 of how capable we are of tackling challenges far beyond our abilities when we work together. People from all over the world donated money, and firefighters from other countries flew to Australia join workers and volunteers in fighting the blaze.
February – The Chiefs won the Super Bowl
They may not be your favorite football team, but everyone loves a good underdog story. This was the first Super Bowl the Chiefs won in 50 years! That is something worth celebrating.
March – The Cares Act was signed
Despite the rifts between Democrats & Republicans, when our country was in need, these two groups came together to sign a document that provided relief to millions of Americans and businesses who were suffering at the beginning of the pandemic.
April – Spotify launched Daily Wellness playlists
In addition to many other mental health resources that became available, Spotify launched its Daily Wellness playlist. This simple daily collection of songs and podcasts gave people peace of mind and a simple way to engage in self-care.
May – SpaceX launched 2 astronauts into space
Elon Musk reminded us just how resilient and tenacious the human race is when he successfully launched two astronauts into space…and brought them home safely.
June – NASA inaugurated the Jackson Headquarters
NASA named its headquarters in Washington, D.C. the Jackson Headquarters in honor of Mary W. Jackson, the first Black female engineer to work there. 2020 was a year for Black voices to be heard and, hopefully, for change to have begun.
July – A COVID-19 vaccine became more promising
In the month of July, deals were made and the first trials of vaccines for the novel coronavirus shows promising results. For the first time, we were able to hope that we would be able to beat this terrible disease soon.
August – Polio officially left Africa
In August, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that the poliovirus is no longer present in Africa. This means just two countries are still threatened by this disease – Afghanistan and Pakistan.
September – Meals were donated to Hurricane Laura victims
After the devastation of Hurricane Laura in Louisiana, Rikesh Patel, a local McDonald’s owner, initiated the delivery of 10,000 free meals to those in need. it was a true act of generosity, service and kindness amid a catastrophic event.
October – NASA landed a spacecraft on an asteroid for the first time
2020 was quite the year for space exploration events. In October, NASA landed OSIRIS-Rex on an asteroid. It was a mission that took four years of work, and it may lead to new discoveries about the history of our solar system.
November – A record-number of Americans voted the first-ever female Vice President into office
No matter how you feel about the results of the 2020 presidential election, there has to be a bit of pride for the number of Americans who took on the responsibility to be a part of our democracy and make their voices heard. In addition to this, the first female vice president in history was elected, which is groundbreaking to say the least.
December – The first COVID-19 vaccine dose was administered
After a year of chaos and fear, the first vaccine dose for the pandemic that seemed to characterize 2020 was given. As we look forward now to 2021, we are now able to have hope that life will return to some semblance of normal in the near future.
This list is by no means meant to diminish all of the tragedy that occurred in 2020. But, perhaps by remembering the few good events that did happen will remind us how very much we have to be grateful for, even when life is threatening to make us forget. For me, 2020 was a reminder of just how blessed I am, and it was confirmation that most people are dedicated to helping one another. This past year, I saw more selflessness, compassion and generosity than I have in a long time, and that alone gave me hope for a brighter future.