2020, a year that leveled the playing ground with a message loud and clear: we are all human. It shined a light on what is valuable in life: health, family, friends. It forced us to focus on the moment, on what was in front of us and be grateful for the basic things, for the breath, for life itself.
We wore masks, gloves and face shields. We washed our hands, kept our distance and sheltered in place. We scrambled to meet the needs of our communities, restructured our schools, work place and social connections. We altered our habits and moved further into a world online.
We planted the earth with food to eat, spent more time at home and stocked up on toilet paper. Our community outreach became stronger and we found a way to feed those who could no longer feed themselves.
At the stroke of midnight on December 31st the new year begins and Auld Lang Syne will take on new meaning. This New Year’s Eve is not just about ushering in a new year, it’s about answering the question posed by lyricist Robert Burns, “Should auld acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind?”
2020, a year not soon forgotten. It shook our lives leaving some shattered, broken in shards. We all lived in fear, a common thread that no one escaped. But that same thread also connected us as one. It was a year that revealed the dark and light of man, a stark reality. You can’t see one without the other.
“Auld lang syne,” days of old. Some would like to forget 2020, some will never forget. “Should auld acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind?”
The choice is yours.