What with the extra-voluminous amount of postal traffic, Christmas cards and New Year’s greetings came late this year. Maybe you’re still getting yours. I just received my Mom’s. My father passed away in 2017 and so she lives alone now at Asbury Village in Gaithersburg. Her short newsletter articulated what I would consider the most healthy attitude we can have right now as we are snowed-in and facing possibly the toughest two months of this pandemic. I got her permission to share it in its entirety:

Dear Ones:

New Year greetings to you with optimistic hope that it will be a happier and healthier year world-wide than the last one has been.

In the past months of restricted indoor activities, I’ve had time to relish the beauty of the outdoors and use my camera to capture and share it. An evening sunset view from my 9th floor balcony can be pretty spectacular. I consider that the despair of the COVID pandemic doesn’t have the last word in our lives. Social distancing hasn’t kept us away from the beauty of nature!

I’m thankful also for the love of family, friends near and far, ingenious grand-children, my piano, classical music all day on the radio, jig-saw puzzles, my church family’s creative ways of caring and keeping going, good health, treasured memories . . . etc. etc.

I wish good things for us all, in the midst of turmoil. I pray for the healing of our nation politically, racially, and spiritually. With God all things ARE possible: gorgeous sunrises as well as gorgeous sunsets! Halleluia!

Love and Blessings, MOM