At the beginning of the year, you experienced a lockdown that changed the fabric of education as we know it. It changed everything as we know it. You had to abruptly adjust to new ways of communicating, learning, and socializing. Oh, and if the pandemic was not enough, you were witness to the murders of innocent black folks and the global protests that ensued. You were witness to the Yemen Humanitarian Crisis, Mi’kmaw Fishing Rights dispute, endSARS, an unforgettable US election, the cyclone that devastated the Philippines - and, maybe you were not present in the moment, but you made sure to use your power and privilege to donate, share on social media, and most importantly, share your knowledge and insight with family, friends and others. Or maybe, you didn’t even have the mental energy to keep up with the entire world all the time, and only ever had enough energy to tackle the day ahead of you. That’s okay too. You did everything you could have to the best of your ability.

Maybe you were able to take advantage of the extra time in doors and finally start that youtube channel, podcast or business you had been thinking about for months. Maybe you finally found yourself on your health journey, spiritual journey or self love journey and are coming into 2021 ready to take on the world (again). Or maybe, it was a struggle to find the motivation to get dressed in the morning, let alone get out of bed. Maybe, it was all of the above. Regardless of the things you did or did not do in 2020, you are worthy of respect, praise and love. You deserve to celebrate the wins, no matter their size, and be happy and proud to have made it to the other side. You deserve to feel pain and be sad, no matter the severity of your situation, because this year added a little extra stress to all of our plates. This was a truly unimaginable year, and could not have been easy for you. Yet, you still showed resilience, strength and perseverance. Even on the days where you did not feel as such, you did the best that you could do. That’s all anyone can ask for. So, thank you. Thank you for trying. Thank you for doing your best. Thank you for showing up each day and doing what you needed to do. Thank you, for being you.