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“Hope is the thing with feathers—
That perches in the soul—
And sings the tune without the words—
And never stops—at all—”

Emily Dickinson

According to both Merriam-Webster and Dictionary.com, the word of the year is Pandemic. No surprise as COVID-19 has upended us globally, nationally, locally (our club! our club!) and personally. We are changed. We are weary. But we are also newly strengthened as we look for ways to survive and thrive. Like the dandelion muscling its way through broken pavement, we reach for the sun.

The author and poet Alice O. Howell wrote “Hope is a positive point of view tinged with joy that doesn’t demand a certain outcome but trusts in the goodness of life.” As 2020 draws to a close, it seems a fitting way to face our future.

Wishing you all peace, joy and a New Year filled with hope.