I know I am not alone in feeling the disquieting strangeness and unsettledness of this past year as it comes to an end. I’m going to do the thing one should never do and assume that you have felt it too: the old ways don’t quite fit anymore; skepticism and cynicism seem to be winning the day; fatigue pervades nearly everything we encounter. It has been a long, dare I say “gossamer” year, that has taken its toll in ways we may not fully understand just yet. It’s an uncomfortable fit for an optimist - even a belligerent one, such as myself. But we are in it. How can we be anywhere else? And so, to move forward, I turn to the questions of how to maneuver through this contemporary maze.

My current strategy in the face of such density and murk, is to defiantly and stubbornly search for, or conjure up, some smidgen of Grace: Grace for others when it’s clear the world’s demands have overwhelmed them in the moment; Grace for communities as they are dealt unbearable doses of tragedy or injustice; Grace for those that seem to misplace fear for rage; and - maybe the hardest of all - Grace for myself as I navigate the challenges of this world we live in. And then I combine that - belligerently! - with all the gratitude I can summon. I purposefully look around, and overwhelm myself with the things I am grateful for.

I’ve not always been able to seamlessly slip into a state of grace and gratitude, but it has more often than not kept me from contributing to the chaos of the world - and in 2022, I think that’s a win. It’s a radically wonderful game to play. One might even call it medicinal.

This is my wish for you in the New Year … may you be overwhelmed with Grace and Gratitude, cultivating it with determination and joy at every possible moment. From my experience, while it won’t erase all the difficulty, you certainly will find more strength from the rosy steps of the morn to drive out the shades of night.

Happy New Year.

Joyce