Today is the first day of winter. It's a time when there is a great stillness in nature. Everything seems to be hibernating and frozen. But underneath, life is quietly unfolding. 

This year certainly feels like the worst is happening right now. A global pandemic, racial tension, the effects of climate change, and deep divides in ideals have all pushed us to brink—and who knows what's next in 2021. Many of us are barely hanging on to the last shreds of our sanity. 

The truth is life never promised us that things would be easy. In fact, things can be downright terrifying as we've seen in 2020. Theoretically, things can get worse. They can also get better. Events horrific and fantastic will happen whether we like them or not, and people will be awful or saintly. 

What matters most is how we view and respond to anything and anyone. ​