Holding On to Hope
Many people have been looking forward to 2021 simply because the new year means 2020 is finally over.
I am writing these words during the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day. These are days when it is easy to lose track of time and forget what day it is. Yet there were stretches of time during 2020 that felt like an eternity. March seemed to go on forever. But, despite the disorientation, that month came to its natural conclusion – just as the year 2020 is currently waning, and will be over and done by the time you read this.
A few people I know took part in an online challenge by listing on social media good things that happened to them during 2020. These lists exemplified how to put a positive spin on difficult times. The lists included things like being able to spend more time with spouses and children due to everyone being at home, as well as discovering and exploring new hobbies and interests.
However, the fact that some people had positive experiences does not diminish the difficulties, and in some cases, tragedies that befell others during the past year. As we waited with bated breath for 2020 to end, who could say if 2021 would be any better?
While 2020 has not been a great year for most of us, a new year doesn’t magically bring an end to the trials and tribulations of the previous one. However, a new year represents hope. And, sometimes hope is all we have to get us through the difficult times.
