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Thank you all for your amazing support in 2019. This time of year has several holiday names and rituals for people from a variety of religious and cultural backgrounds. I’ll just call it “the holidays” to be as all-inclusive as possible, and I hope I can do that without triggering accusations that I’m part of “the war on Christmas.” I’m fine with Christmas, but I’d prefer to look at the positive spirit of the season in a broader way. The holidays remind me to focus on things that should be front and center all year… to be thankful for friends and family, to be grateful for my health and career opportunities, but mostly to think about people other than myself and recognize the struggles of all of humanity, especially those facing economic hardship and injustice. The ritual of giving gifts during the holidays is meaningful because we have to ask ourselves “what would so and so really want, or better yet, what do they need?” I’m always a bit ashamed that such a simple exercise seems to be easily applied to friends and family, but applying it more broadly is challenging. My 2020 vision (see what I did there?) is that we can all be united in shaping a kinder and more just world!
-Shepard
