Editor’s note: Karen Harris Tully is a writer who lives in Raymond and has agreed to keep a journal to share with Daily World readers during the odd and uncertain time we’re all navigating.
Dear Journal,
Happy New Year! I have so many hopes and aspirations for 2021, mostly that it’s better, in so many ways, than 2020. This has been a challenging year, a growth and learning year, and I hope we’ve taken the lessons of a pandemic to heart.
I hope parents can appreciate how tough a teacher’s job is now, just imagine having 20-30 of those little buggers in class! Teachers planned and replanned curriculum with every change that came along for the safety of students and families. And parents and schools worked together to make learning happen at home, which believe me, has not been easy. I hope kids can go back to their friends and in-person school soon, and even more, I hope working parents won’t have to juggle so many competing, at times impossible priorities in 2021.
I hope we are learning to depend more on each other, and less on our government to come through. Watching the democratic process this year reminded me that democracy is slow and inefficient, and also a lot like watching sausage get made. No one wants to see that! Elected officials on opposing sides have to find a middle ground, or nothing gets done, and if those we’ve put in office are unwilling to compromise for the good of the American people, well, we’re on our own.
On a related, happier note, I hope we’ve learned how important it is to care for each other in our communities. I saw some of the ugliest things nationally this past year, but I also saw some of the most beautiful acts of generosity and kindness. I saw local groups make meals for anyone who might need them, food and cleaning boxes too. I saw people help each other out. Maybe not by choice so much as necessity, but we made traditions happen in new ways, while keeping our distance. I saw folks wear masks, which none of us love, but we are doing it for the good of our community and the lives of our most vulnerable citizens. Looking back on this year, I see frustration and hardship, yes, but also an unexpected, quiet beauty.
It’s easy to focus on the ugliness of the past year, but there were so many times that we rose together and created community. My hope for the new year is this: that we let all the bad fall behind us into the past, and carry only the lessons we’ve learned forward. May the compassion, the cooperation, and the expanded spirit of problem solving come with us into the future. This is my wish for 2021.
Song of the day: My Wish, Rascal Flatts
Karen Harris Tully is a novelist living in Raymond with her husband and two small children. She writes sci-fi/fantasy for teens and adults and can be found at www.karenharristully.com.
