Happy New Year, 2021

I hope we have a Happy New Year, 2021! It will have to be a better year that 2020. I really want my life back. 

There are so many simple things that I miss:

• Being able to hug my loved ones
• To see peoples’ faces again.  Are they smiling or snarling?
• Meeting in person – Zooming doesn’t do it for me. Facial expressions only tell one  story, body language tells another.
• Going to restaurants and not necessarily for the food. I like to see people. I once worked with a woman who had to have the choice seat for people watching. We would all shuffle around until she got the perfect place to sit. She will know who she is. 
• Part 1:  Fulfilling my value proposition includes wandering around client offices and finding ways to be useful. Often there are situations that I have seen before and problems I can solve. 
• Part 2: Being energized by the invariably younger people whom I help. Even my oldest client is two months younger than me. 
• I miss travel, not just the going but the planning. 
• Sharing the buzz of a busy sidewalk on a beautiful day
• Hockey games with fans in the seats
• Visiting my youngest child in Nova Scotia
• Coffee at La Difference 
• Pizza by the slice at FCO di Fiumicino 
• Being able to hug my loved ones –  this one bears repeating

New Years Greetings:

I will start my New Year’s greetings with the hope that you get to do everything  on your very personal list of the simple things that you miss because of the pandemic.

Good health!! Traditional wishes of good health take on more significance this year. The Coronavirus has overwhelmed the healthcare system making other possible chronic illnesses more dangerous than they may have been. 

A critical eye! Everyday, I work hard to separate fact from opinion. We all have biases and so nobody will ever do this perfectly. However,  we need to try so that social discourse can be civil and respectful.

The ability to be generous! The Cambridge dictionary defines generosity as the wilful giving  of money, help, kindness, etcetera  especially more than is usual or expected.  If you have money, giving it is easy. Giving help and showing kindness are hard and need practice. 

Resolutions

My weekly reminders are at the core of my new years resolutions – I will:

• Buy less but buy better quality
• Repair rather than replace
• Reuse,  a well-worn dress shirt is a good work shirt
• Work harder at recycling. I will always start by looking for good new homes for items no longer useful to me 
• Shop  local
• Buy Québec and Canadian to the extent possible, even if it means paying a premium
• Support local farms, artisans, and manufacturers. 
• Respect other peoples health by wearing a face mask where required, washing my hands, and practicing social distancing
• Work on my own health through continued exercise and healthy eating habits
• I will get the vaccine as soon as I possibly can

It is up to all of us to get back to the lives we had before the pandemic. 

I wish everyone a Happy New Year 2021.