A New Year. A new beginning.

At the end of December in 2019, during that final week when Christmas (for those who celebrate on the 25th) ended and we had the very slow transition into the coming year which happens at the end of every year, we were all optimistic about what 2020 would be like and what we would be able to accomplish. Little did we know, an unseen kind of pandemonium would ensue that would make it difficult to make meaningful progress toward our dreams. Now, many of us are, understandably, much more cautiously optimistic this year as we stand in the beginning of 2021, excited to have some sense of closure after a difficult year.  

But, you know what? We faced a global pandemic, social unrest in many countries as people stood up for their rights, confusion and grief as we were forced to let go of people and things we thought would be around for much longer, sometimes crippling financial hardships, fear and anxiety about our health as we wondered and worried whether or not we and our loved ones would be okay this year, and other hardships that certainly could be added to this list. In the face of it all, we, as people in a world who live together and share a beautiful planet, faced so much together and we made it out on the other side of the year. 

2020 was a year that showed us how strong our love and resilience could be in the face of so much pain, tension, discord, and difficulty. I hope 2021 will be a year where the seeds of love we planted and watered last year bloom into fields of beauty. 

Happy New Year! We still have much left to face and 2020 really wants to hold on, but last year we had a chance to see how strong we really are. Cheers to that.