As 2021 swirls rapidly to an end and we prepare to greet another new year, it’s important that we pause and show some love and respect for all we’ve experienced, endured, and overcome the past 12 months. Most of us probably expected a pandemic-free year and a return to some sense of what we call normal.
“Try to remember the kind of September, when life was slow and oh so mellow…” lyrics by Harry Schmidt and Tom Jones
I am desperately trying to remember this kind of September but the images, like memories in the corners of my mind, are fading fast and sadly, they’re not being replaced by slow or mellow thoughts. The lyrics from this classic song came to me as I contemplated the remaining days of summer, the beginning of autumn, a rapidly changing landscape driven by chaos and pandemics, and the challenges we face in the waning days of one of my favorite months.
Extraordinary effort. Over the past 17 days we have seen it in all its glory and like sweet watermelon and a summer breeze, I loved every moment. The 2020 Summer Olympics came to a triumphant close Sunday and while the 113 medals the U.S. won give us bragging rights, what we saw was much more important—sportsmanship, grit, camaraderie, exceptional and first-class effort.
Today is an occasion for celebration—I don’t need an excuse other than being alive—but as I offer three reasons why, I hope you will join me. First, more than 200 million people have been vaccinated, the George Floyd trial has ended, and Earth Day gently reminded us to pay attention to how we’re living.
Styne & Cahn
If we had any doubts about what season we’re in, the last few days have surely put those thoughts to rest. The postcard that is my front yard is stunning and still, almost like the night before Christmas when “not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.”
As our world continues to be rocked by the Coronavirus-Covid19 pandemic, let’s look at what we know and where we are. I’m on my 11th day inside my home and the authorities were correct—I am safer. I intend to stay there until somebody drags me out kicking and screaming. So long as there is milk, Cheerios, ground beef, chicken, onions, and potatoes in the cupboard and freezer, I may be here indefinitely.
