This terrible year has reminded us of what we have, as well as what we used to have.

I am grateful for being able to be in in-person school, because some schools in Arizona are still shut down. I also was starting to lose my sanity while at home. I am grateful for the time I have with Izzy (my dog) because she has a cyst and might have cancer, so I value my time with her. I am grateful for the Phoenix Youth Symphony because they are still open and able to have rehearsals. I am thankful that my mom still has a job and is able to provide for Izzy and I.  I am grateful for the opportunities that I have for the Young Musican’s Competition and my instructor, Chris. Without Chris I would have never been able to even get into PYS. I am grateful for all the trips that my mom has taken me on to Europe. And I miss being able to go on those trips. I did not really realize how much I enjoyed traveling until right when the pandemic hit. I am grateful for Thanksgiving nachos. My mom and I have a tradition to have nachos because neither of us really like traditional Thanksgiving food. I am grateful that I am able to be with my friends at school. While being away from my friends for about 7 months, I started to go a little crazy. I am grateful for the pool at our house because it gave me something to do over all that time I was stuck at home.

2020 has been one of the worst years in our lifetimes. We have had to deal with Coronavirus, an intense political season and much more. But in the end we still have things to be grateful for even though we have lost the ability to do a lot of things.