It has been a long year for all of us. Although some scientists may have predicted this, none of us living in the real world were prepared for what we have been through. The separation, stress and effects of uncertainty and fear have taken their toll and impacted families and businesses hardest of all.

But in the shadow of the pandemic, new opportunities have sprouted. We have been forced to take a new look at our ourselves, our lives, our work and our society. One thing is certain. None of us will ever be the same, and although we hope we will never face something like this again, the knowledge that it DID happen and COULD happen, has changed us permanently. That change includes experience we can now use to help us live a better life - one filled with appreciation and gratitude for all the little things we used to take for granted - like a hug or even a handshake.

And moving forward, when we sometimes inevitably find ourselves in conflict with each other, we can draw on our shared experiences over this past year. We can remember all the ways in which we suffered together and prevailed together, demonstrating both the frailties and incredible strengths of our humanness. And we can choose to resolve our differences cooperatively in a way where there is no winner or loser, because we are mindful that we have all, already, lost enough.

Tony