happy 2021!

I have a marvelous 96 year old friend who I talk with on the phone whenever I can. Her name is Eva Olsson. You may know of her. I’ve written here about Eva before: she is a survivor of the Holocaust, having been liberated from the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp 75 years ago by British and Canadian troops. During her time there, she witnessed the death of her parents and other family members. She also saw Anne Frank die. Her memories are sad, but her spirit is unabashedly positive,
 
Today, we didn’t talk about the past. We discussed the spirit of Hanukkah and Christmas this year (both of which this ecumenical Jewish lady celebrates with glee). And then we moved to the new year ahead. “Eva, do you make new year’s resolutions?” I asked. “I make the same resolution at New Years that I make every single day,” she replied “Which is…?” I asked. “Do the best that you can. And try to do it even more today than you did yesterday.”
 
Not bad, eh? And man! If we all did that, what a different world this might be. Thanks you for that Eva.
 
My hope for the new year is that the vaccine retreats to the point where Eva Olsson can once more carry on with her speaking tour. She’s a powerful speaker at schools and connects with the kids hearing about her past by warning them of the evils of bullying.
 
It’s been a challenging year, but one that brought with it for me personally lots of upsides. My hope for you and all of us is that we have a safer, healthier, happier 2021.

---