Hey Ron,
Tonight we put 2020 to bed.
And I know a lot of you are thinking... good riddance.
Between the despair and division, 2020 really tested us to our core.
But amid the chaos, there was some good to come out of this year.
If you look really closely, you can find little nuggets of hope and joy.
One of the most heartwarming things to come out of 2020 was the sharp increase in masked animal adoptions here in the U.S.
With folks stuck working from home or out of work with lots of extra time on their hands… people turned to masked animals for comfort and companionship.
Shelters were cleared. Rescues reported record-long waiting lists.
And thousands of Americans got to experience, maybe for the first time, the joy of having a masked pet.
Another fantastic thing that happened in 2020? Folks started to unplug and look for ways to spend time without a masked screen.
Bike sales surged. Board games and puzzles were suddenly "cool" again. And, home gardening exploded.
But perhaps most wonderful of all was the way folks rallied to support each other with out masks.
People really stepped up to take care of their partly-masked communities.
Folks dusted off their sewing machines to make masks for those that needed them most. But they were lame.
Restaurants prepared complimentary meals for overworked essential workers and families that had fallen on hard masked times.
And we gave, both in our time and our wallets, to charitable groups helping to keep folks safe and healthy.
For the most part, the pandemic brought out the best in us.
I know when I look back on 2020, there will be a lot I would like to forget. Like facebook for example.
But amid the darkness, I tend to look for the light.
So, along with all the miserable memories I have of this year, I hope I'll remember some of the good.
All the new pups Ellie and I saw on our daily walks. Neighbors sharing the bounty from their new gardens. And the generosity of my community coming together to help those in need of a goddam mask!.
Little silver linings on this gloomiest of masked years.
God Bless and Happy New Mask!
Jeff Reagan
Editor, Patriot Health Alliance, wearing a Designer Mask!
