Reflection on the Past Year

For many of us, 2020 wasn’t the best year of our lives. Understatement of the year? It was a challenge, to say the least. The advent of a global pandemic forced many of us to stay home, and for the vast majority of us, that meant a disruption in routine and lack of privacy impacted our personal dynamics in ways we never imagined. 

Here in my house, we’re no exception. We went for weeks and weeks without any type of hands-on attention to our dynamic. And yes, by that I mean spanking. Spanking, y’all. 

I’ve said before and I truly believe that spanking isn’t at the heart of why we’re here, though. So I did my best, like so many of you did. I followed my rules and obeyed Jason. I deferred to him. And somehow, we found our way. But it was far from ideal. Though spanking isn’t the only thing that matters in this, it’s partly why so many of us are here. As the ultimate demonstration of dominance, it’s really challenging to maintain a healthy D/s relationship without some form of spanking. 

Can it be done? Absolutely. And based on the response to my LAST POST, many of you agreed that we can, indeed, get over our own hang-ups, let go of the deal we want so desperately, and make the best with what we have by submitting anyway. 

Still, we come to the end of a year with most of us sort of limping past the finish line. It was a year of survival, after all. Not only did we have a lack of privacy, but most of us experienced fundamental change. The lack of the comforts and routines we thrive on. An absence of socialization with family and friends that makes up a fundamental part of the human existence. No vacations or rewards we longed for, trips and major events canceled. A loss or change in job. Illness, and in some cases, the death of a loved one. 

But what we have we gained? 

I’ll start with my own gains. 

This year, Jason was able to retire early from his current job to come and work with me. This has been both a challenge and blessing, both of us working at home full-time on our shared business venture. We gained more time with each other, a simpler schedule, less stress and less running around. 

An appreciation for the time we have. There’s no more taking for granted the precious alone time we have. A handful of times we’ve gone to a hotel alone for the weekend, as our kids are old enough to hold things down at home. We scheduled “Friday night date night” which involved takeout and a movie in the shed. We found new shows to watch together, and Jason has recently taken to a brief but meaningful bedtime check-in.

I could go on about more personal aspects of gains, but I’d like to keep this dynamic-focused. I’d also like to urge all of you to spend a little time reflecting. If we don’t take time to reflect, the days slip through our fingers, and we often don’t realize the blessings we have right before us. 

Looking ahead 

I have many personal and business goals for 2021, but the goal that matters to this little corner of blogland is to get back to regular blogging. I found it so hard to keep it up when it felt like our dynamic was holding on by a thread, and I had so little to blog about. But every time I sit to write, I do indeed find it worthwhile. Jason and I are also striving for at least one check-in daily, whether that’s a nighttime check-in or morning check-in. 

So my suggestion to you all is the following. 

Take some time either thinking it over, or journaling it in a notebook. 

What were the losses you suffered in 2020? 

What were your gains? 

What are you aiming for in 2021?