Serenity is the best gift this year. It helps to wash away the anxiety, fear and unhappiness of 2020.

Usually, I travel to see my family over the holidays, but it just didn’t feel right now. Trips for special events there earlier this year seemed fine, but now, with more and more virus cases……. No.

Rather than post a beautiful flower, it’s more important to me to use a photograph of a trip last September to the Durango-Mancos-Ignacio area of Colorado. Driving along with almost no cars, the clouds became brilliant, hanging like giants over the land. I pulled over, and marveled at them, and that’s how they wound up on my phone. 

Since 2019 was great, and 2020 has been either bizarre or frightening, I’m hoping for good things in 2021. It’s such a mixed bag: People are continuing to become sick, losing jobs, trying to find food, growing number of encampments around my city for those with no homes, an election (which seems to be ridiculously droning along), missing friends casually, and protesting to find equity for all, which has opened many eyes: Something good has to come out of this year.

This photo perches on my desktop, and helps to wash away the anxiety. I can hardly wait for another Colorado mini-road trip (or three) in the summer of 2021. Be safe and well….