Top Ten Tuesday - Top Ten Things I'm Thankful for in 2020

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

This week, Top Ten Tuesday is featuring a Thanksgiving/I'm Thankful for freebie. Considering how so many of us would like to put 2020 behind us--including me--it's nice to reflect on the things that happened this year I can be thankful for. 

1. Our family's health - We only lost one family member to this crazy COVID stuff, and that was enough. We have been as vigilant as possible about staying safe. 
2. Working from home - My husband was able to start working from home in March, and it is doubtful he will be back in the office before next March. Companies across the nation are realizing that people can work from home and be productive. In the future, I think more work from home opportunities will be available and companies will be more open to hybrid schedules. 
3. Essential workers, healthcare providers, teachers, etc. - While we have been able to work mostly from home, not everyone is so lucky. There are tons of hometown heroes putting themselves in harm's way to care for and help others. God bless you all.
4. Opportunity to work - I'm an independent contractor who meets strangers in their home or helps them view homes for a living. I've spent a lot of time home this year, which messed with many of the goals I had set in January. Therefore, I am thankful for the opportunities I have to work with great people when I can. 
5. Technology to keep us connected - Where would we be without Zoom, Microsoft Teams, GoToMeeting, FaceTime, Skype, etc.? Some of this technology has made a real difference in keeping us connected. The only way my mother-in-law got to see her husband before he died was thanks to FaceTime, so I'm happy it exists. 
6. Real estate advocacy - I don't talk about this a lot, but our local, state, and national associations advocate on our behalf and on the behalf of property owners across the country. In many states, real estate wasn't considered essential during the pandemic at the beginning. In some places, it still isn't. Big deal, right? Well, if you had to relocate for personal or professional reasons and you couldn't, that might make things tough. What if you couldn't finalize the sale of your home because the fire department wasn't allowed to perform their mandatory inspection of your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors? The state association helped us work with cities and towns to come up with a solution. 
7. Technology to keep us safe - From online shopping to contactless food delivery, from remote notarization to virtual home tours, and more the pandemic has created new ways of doing business or expanded options for those of us who already used these tools. 
8. Getting outdoors - Many of us maintained a hectic pace of moving from one thing to the next every day without taking the time to appreciate the outdoors. The pandemic has created a slower pace for many of us. Not for all (thank you, again, essential workers), but for many. The isolation of lockdowns has drawn us outside to work on home improvement projects, walk or cycle through our neighborhoods, visit parks, or hike local trails. 
9. Books - Where would we be without books right about now? If for no other reason than to remember what the world was like before the pandemic, books are a great source of entertainment. I've already completed my 2020 Goodreads challenge. I've read more books this year than I have the last five or six years. 
10. Blogging - Blogging continues to keep us connected. We talk about things that are important to us. We share our thoughts. We share books and television shows we enjoy. No matter how busy I get, I hope I'll always be able to maintain at least one blog.

I hope you like my list. I look forward to reading yours.