We’ve all experienced life-altering events over the last almost three years—and I’m not going to painfully recall myriad stories of quarantine, war, life and death, fire and weather events, political unrest, social divisions, and economic hardship. You’ve read the news over and over again and probably experienced enough of the harsh realities yourself. Many of us learned some important lessons and it’s time we started turning things around and getting back to living something resembling our pre pandemic “normal” lives, greeting each other with smiles on our faces and hope in our hearts.
Some of you might be wondering if I know what I’m talking about; have I really been in touch, and do I really understand how bad things have been. Let me put it in the most positive terms, and the answer is “yes.” I had six surgeries in 2021, three of them to repair my heart. But I survived those and I like to say I’m still above ground and vertical. I didn’t get to do the traveling I’d hoped to do, but I had a lot of time to do constructive things…like publishing eleven books. I’ve lost dear friends, but I’ve turned my attention to staying in touch with others. Life will probably never be the same as it was, but my bucket list has grown a lot longer and I’ve tried to make my wishes more constructive than before. Indeed…a lot of water has flowed under the bridge (and often over the landscape) but I’d rather focus on the opportunities even the worst of experiences can reveal and face the future with increased determination.
