The end of the year is always a time of reflection. As 2021 is slowly coming to an end, I have been doing some thinking and one thing has stood out to me: the gift of time.

Let’s take a leap back to 2020. Last year, we were all given the gift of time when the coronavirus pandemic struck and lockdown orders were issued around the world. Virtually every public activity was put to a halt, and it seemed as though the whole world had shut down.

In 2021, we were all looking forward to resuming our normal lives. Little did we know that the Delta and Omicron variants of the virus were lurking in the corner. Although in Nigeria, there was no major lockdown order in 2021, I was again given the gift of time through law school.

The law school programme in Nigeria is broken into two parts: Bar I and Bar II. Bar I started in February 2021, after the resumption date was postponed from September 2020 and again from January 2021. We finally ended Bar I in May 2021 and waited for about six months – half the entire year – before we resumed Bar II.

The ridiculously long break between Bar I and Bar II was quite frustrating, to say the least. There were times when I felt depressed, unsure when I would resume, and unsure how long I would eventually spend in law school. But I’m not writing this blog post to complain about all of that.

Last year, I wrote about how I achieved so much with the extra time that the lockdown gave me. This year, I find old patterns repeating themselves. Although this time I wasn’t stuck at home, the six months’ break from law school gave me ample time to do so much. I attended numerous events at work, recorded a number of YouTube videos, joined a new and exciting youth organisation, (finally) learned how to drive, and even cut my hair!

So I guess even in spite of the discomfort that I felt with the long break, I am grateful for the gift of time. I am going to repeat what I said in my end-of-year post last year, that there is an opportunity in every problem. I am thankful for all the experiences I had in 2021, both good and bad. As we look ahead to 2022, I urge you to do some personal reflection and try to answer this question:

What gift did 2021 give you?

If you find an answer to this question, I guarantee that you feel more fulfilled and thankful for the year you’ve had. No doubt, this will set you up to enter 2022 fully prepared!

PS Let me know in the comment section if you do find an answer to the question.

Related: Reflections on 2020: We Made It!

---

Enjoyed this post? Hit the ‘Subscribe’ button below to get notified of new posts via email!

Email’s not your thing? I gatchu! Follow this blog on social media: @kikibyrukky.

• Facebook
• Instagram
• Twitter