I feel a need to reflect once again.
The year 2021 had its ups and downs. It was nothing like 2020, and nothing like the years before. It was a year of give and take.
Unfortunately, some of the pride I have for this country was taken on January 6th when politics and extremism brought out the worst in some at our nation's capital. I hate knowing that our country is so divided. I hate seeing how a virus - a common enemy that can and should have united us in our resolve - has only widened the gap between groups in our country.
This year took away many of the restrictions that created so much separation and isolation in 2020. School looks a bit more normal. Events that were canceled in 2020 started to happen again. I was finally able to see my sister and her family (and meet my nephew in person).
2021 gave me opportunity to travel again. In June, I spent time on two different rivers with students once again and experienced the thrill of rafting through some of the most beautiful places. I flew on a plane again for the first time since 2019 when we rafted down the Wild and Scenic Rogue River. When we arrived in Oregon, the 115 degree heat gave me a reminder of the reality of climate change. Shortly after our trip, massive wildfires in California and Oregon carried smoke to Colorado to again remind us that our planet is hurting. Unfortunately, the year ended with another reminder of this reality when two Colorado towns were taken by fire. I hope that 2022 will give us a chance to start living more sustainably. If it does, I hope we heed the opportunity.
In March, my four-legged friend Simon was taken after quickly succumbing to kidney disease. It was another loss that only compounded the damage of 2020. I couldn't stand to be in a state of mourning for long, though, and I had the chance to give Calypso a new home. She's not Simon, but I love her own unique style of playfulness and affection.
This school year has given me the chance to host another exchange student. I couldn't have asked for a better student than Emil. We've already had many adventures and we are looking forward to more in the second half of his exchange year. I appreciate his positivity and enthusiasm. Having him here has, in large part, redeemed what otherwise would have been another very challenging year.
2021 has given and taken so many other things as, I suppose, every year does. Several mass shootings that were way too close to home - in Boulder, Olde Town Arvada, and Lakewood - took the lives of community members, police officers, and others. This year gave our country a new president who has set a very different tone than the last president. The last day of the year took Betty White, the brilliant actress and comedian who was weeks away from being 100 years old. If I live to be 100 (or even 99), I hope that I have the same spirit and energy that she did until the end.
What I'm learning is that it's unfair to wholly categorize a year as "good" or "bad". There were a number of very difficult times in 2021 and just as many amazing experiences, too. We all know how challenging 2020 was. In retrospect, it has allowed me to enjoy the better parts of 2021 more than I would have otherwise. In the words of Alan Watts, "if, then, we are to be fully human and fully alive and aware, it seems that we must be willing to suffer for our pleasures."
Like every year, I have no idea what 2022 will bring, and that's okay. It will be another year of give and take, of good and bad, and I will do my best to be present for each part.
Happy New Year.
