Hey there, fellow humans! So, let's be real for a sec. 2020. Phew. It was... a lot, wasn't it? Like that one relative who shows up unannounced and stays way too long, except this relative was the entire year. We navigated sourdough starters like they were life rafts, perfected the art of the awkward Zoom call background, and probably rewatched our favorite comfort shows more times than we care to admit.
But amidst the… unprecedented nature of it all, you know what? We also found little pockets of sunshine. Little moments that made us snort-laugh, genuinely smile, or just feel a warm fuzzy feeling in our chests. And because I'm a firm believer that we need to celebrate the good stuff, no matter how small, I've been thinking about the five happiest days of our lives moments that somehow, inexplicably, managed to sneak their way into 2020. Grab a cuppa, settle in, and let’s reminisce about the times we weren't wearing sweatpants for the third day in a row!
The Great Toilet Paper Hoard Discovery (and subsequent relief!)
Okay, I know, I KNOW. It sounds ridiculous now. But remember those early days? The sheer panic that descended upon grocery stores? It was like a scene straight out of a zombie apocalypse, but instead of brains, everyone was after… well, you know. Toilet paper. Boxes and boxes of it!
There was a point where I seriously considered fashioning a makeshift toilet paper dress, just in case. For real. The fear was real. My bathroom cabinet was looking emptier than a clown's diary. Then, one glorious Tuesday afternoon, I stumbled into a smaller, local convenience store. And there it was. A shimmering beacon of hope. An entire shelf, overflowing with those soft, fluffy rolls.
I swear, I did a little jig right there in the aisle. My heart did a happy little flip. It was pure, unadulterated joy. The kind of joy you get when you find a twenty-dollar bill in an old coat pocket, multiplied by a thousand. I bought enough to last me through the next apocalypse, just to be safe. And for that brief, beautiful moment, the world felt a little less chaotic. We weren't just surviving; we were thriving, one perfectly perforated roll at a time. It was a small victory, sure, but man, did it feel HUGE.
The Day the Dog(s) Became Our Undisputed Overlords
Let's be honest, our furry friends had a major glow-up in 2020. Suddenly, the dogs weren't just pets; they were our therapists, our exercise buddies, our constant companions in the face of existential dread. And for many of us, this meant a significant shift in household hierarchy.
My dog, Barnaby, a creature previously known for his impressive napping skills and uncanny ability to locate dropped crumbs, transformed into a full-blown co-worker. He’d sit at my desk, occasionally nudging my hand for a head scratch when he deemed my productivity levels satisfactory. His presence was… surprisingly grounding. And his endless enthusiasm for a quick walk around the block, even if it was just to the end of the driveway and back, became a vital part of my daily routine.
There was a particular day, I remember it vividly, where Barnaby decided that my virtual meeting was his moment to shine. He hopped onto my lap, let out a series of the most adorable little whines, and proceeded to lick my face with such unbridled affection that my colleagues actually laughed. My boss, bless his heart, even said, "Well, that's a more productive use of time than some of our strategizing sessions." It was a moment of pure, unscripted, canine-induced happiness. The day we fully embraced our dogs as the true rulers of our homes, and honestly? We wouldn't have it any other way. They brought so much unconditional love and slobbery kisses into our lives when we needed it most. And let's face it, their zoomies were far more entertaining than any Netflix binge.
The Accidental Garden Gnome Invasion (and subsequent green thumb discovery)
Now, I'm not going to lie. My gardening skills were, shall we say, questionable at best before 2020. I once managed to kill a cactus. A CACTUS. So, when the whole "let's all become urban farmers" trend hit, I was skeptical. But necessity, as they say, is the mother of invention. Or, in my case, the mother of desperate online seed packet purchases.
I started small. A few sad little tomato plants and some wilting basil. But then, something magical happened. They didn't die! In fact, they thrived. Little green shoots emerged, then tiny flowers, and eventually, plump, juicy tomatoes. I felt like a botanical wizard. My balcony transformed from a concrete wasteland into a miniature Eden. I was spending my afternoons out there, watering, weeding (okay, mostly just admiring), and feeling an incredible sense of accomplishment.
The happiest day in this gardening saga was probably the day I harvested my first handful of homegrown cherry tomatoes. They were still warm from the sun, bursting with flavor. I popped one in my mouth, and it was like a tiny explosion of pure, unadulterated deliciousness. I sent pictures to my friends, who were equally impressed (or perhaps just politely humoring me). It was a moment of quiet triumph, a tangible reminder that even in uncertain times, we could still cultivate something beautiful. Who knew I had a green thumb lurking beneath my layers of social distancing anxiety? Turns out, nature has a way of surprising us, and so do we!
The Virtual Hug That Felt Real
Physical touch became a precious commodity in 2020. High-fives were replaced with elbow bumps, and spontaneous hugs were a distant memory. We missed our friends, our families, the simple comfort of human connection. But then, technology, bless its often-clunky heart, stepped in to fill some of that void.
I’m talking about those video calls. At first, they were a novelty. A way to see faces that weren't our own. But then, they evolved. They became our virtual living rooms, our digital pubs, our online gathering spaces. And there was a specific video call, with my best friend who lived across the country, where something truly special happened.
We were just chatting, catching up on everything and nothing, when we both realized how much we missed just… being together. Without a word, we both mirrored each other’s actions. We held up our mugs of tea, we gestured emphatically, and then, simultaneously, we both sort of… mimed a hug. We wrapped our arms around ourselves, squeezed tight, and made little "Mwah!" kissing sounds. And in that moment, through the pixelated screen, I felt it. That warmth, that connection, that genuine affection. It wasn't the same as a real hug, of course, but it was surprisingly close. It was a testament to the resilience of human connection, the ability to find ways to bridge the distance and remind each other that we weren't alone. It was a virtual hug that felt remarkably real, and it reminded me that even when we're apart, our hearts can still be close.
The "We Survived That" Toast (with whatever was left in the liquor cabinet)
Let's face it, there were days in 2020 where the sheer absurdity of it all was enough to make you want to crawl under the duvet and hibernate until 2021. We navigated job losses, health scares, political turmoil, and a constant hum of anxiety. It was a marathon, not a sprint, and honestly, sometimes it felt like we were running it backwards uphill in the snow.
But then, there were those moments of collective catharsis. Those nights where you'd hop on a group chat, or have a socially distanced get-together (remember those?), and just… let it all out. We’d laugh at the ridiculousness, commiserate about the struggles, and raise a glass to the fact that we were still standing. We were still breathing. We were still here.
I remember one evening, a few friends and I decided to have a virtual "survival toast." We all poured ourselves whatever we had – a splash of wine, a shot of questionable whiskey, even just a fancy sparkling water. We toasted to surviving the sourdough starter disasters, to the perfectly timed toilet paper restock, to the dogs who kept us sane, and to the virtual hugs that got us through. It was a moment of pure, unadulterated relief and solidarity. We weren't just individuals weathering a storm; we were a community, cheering each other on. It was the "we made it through another week, let's do this again tomorrow (or maybe just go back to bed)" kind of joy. And in a year filled with so much uncertainty, that simple act of acknowledging our resilience felt like a superpower.
So, there you have it. Five moments that, against all odds, managed to sprinkle a little bit of extra sparkle into our 2020. It’s easy to look back at the past year and focus on the negatives, and believe me, there were plenty. But sometimes, when we shift our focus, even just a little, we can find those hidden gems of happiness. Those little victories, those unexpected joys, those moments of connection that remind us of our strength and our capacity for resilience. 2020 might have been a wild ride, but it also proved that even in the darkest of times, the human spirit can find ways to shine. Keep looking for those moments, my friends, because they're always there, waiting to be discovered. And hey, if all else fails, there’s always another dog video to watch. Cheers to that!
