I’m tired. The year 2020 has drained me.

It feels like I have so much to do, and I’m not quite doing any of it right.

Maybe it’s because of the pandemic.

There were a lot of unknowns this year—brought to you by the letter C for coronavirus. From shutdowns to mandatory masks to the leadership at all levels who kept passing the buck on making tough decisions, it has been a lot to handle.

One day, places were open. The next, they weren’t. Then places were open at 25% capacity, then 50%, then 75%. Whoops! Back to 50%. That 75% capacity caused a spike in numbers.

You realize that Wal-Mart isn’t even open 24 hours anymore, right? What is this world coming to?

I’m sick of having to hunt for Lysol and disinfectant wipes. I don’t think anyone is loving the mask thing, but I’ll happily comply to do my part in slowing the spread.

The one good thing these safety restrictions caused was forcing everyone to get all the way out of my personal space. #SocialDistancing

Maybe it’s the election period.

The scam/robo calls increased. The number of volunteers from (insert candidate) who decided to randomly text me to ask for my support is ridiculous.

Who sent these people? I don’t know who sold my information, but it’s an automatic “STOP” reply for me.

The signs, the mudslinging, the lies, the mailers, the social media ads, the television commercials—can we say politics overload?

Obviously, it’s our duty and responsibility to vote. Just let me do my research in peace without shoving propaganda down my throat.

Even after Election Day, we’re here without officially naming the presidential winner, and plenty of local races are having runoff elections. Yeeeeah…

Maybe it’s the lives lost.

It started with Kobe Bryant. I wasn’t a mega fan or anything, but I respected his contribution to the game of basketball. It was the first time my husband was visibly shocked and disturbed about the passing of a celebrity.

Then, there’s the day I’ll never forget: June 7, 2020. That’s the day my dad transitioned into glory. (Sounds real churchy, huh?) But it’s the truth. He took his last breath on earth and met Jesus. I don’t think I’ll ever fully recover from that news, but each day gets a tad bit easier with God’s help. 🙏🏾

Couple that with the CUH-RAY-ZEE trip to Nigeria for his celebration of life. Those two months of planning, including spending only five days in Nigeria, felt like a full year already. (In my head, it’s the year 2022.)

With each passing day, the number of celebrities and dignitaries we lost increased. Chadwick Boseman, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sean Connery, Little Richard and Rance Allen—just to name a few.

Speaking of, is Denzel okay? Let’s do a wellness check on him. I can’t risk anything happening to him.

Hashtags popped up more than one could keep up with for names of Black men and woman whose lives were stolen due to racial biases.

And with all this going on, life must go on.

Your family is still there. They still need you 100% present. 👌🏾

Your job is still there. The expectations have not lowered.

Your other hobbies and passions are still there. That is, whenever you can find the time to squeeze any of that in anymore.

It’s a lot.

This isn’t a cry for help. I’m just here to let you know that if you’re feeling this way, you’re not alone.

We’ve all been through some things these past months.

So, I may have to take a mental health break this week. I need to recharge a bit to finish the year strong.

Will I do a video this week? If the Spirit leads. But then again, it’d just be about being exhausted, and who wants to hear about that? HA!