Dear Friends of Radiant Futures,
2020 was a challenging time for all of us. It really is an understatement to call this past year anything short of a wreck. The Coronavirus has made so many people sick and claimed so many lives. Even if you haven’t been directly impacted by it, the pandemic has stolen almost a year out of our lives forcing us to call off activities we all love or planned to do such as spending quality time with family/friends, taking a dream safari vacation in South Africa (that’s me ?), or eating the warm – oh so decadent, golden liquid butter with your popcorn at the movie theaters. Because of this, we all became so good at blaming the pandemic for ruining 2020.
But I say, it’s time to flip the coin and think things differently. If we say things like, “2020 was the worst year of all…” and call it a wash, then we lose. If we learned something new or just got to slow down a bit and really live in the moment, and recognize that, we win.
So let’s see what has gone right this year.
At Radiant Futures, it was impressive and awe inspiring to witness so many people – even when many of them were going through their own challenges, contribute to make things better for the survivors we serve. All of our donors and supporters converted their sponsorships into donations when we had to cancel our largest fundraising event in March; our local restaurants – even when they were financially impacted, still donated cooked meals to our shelter residents; and our staff here worked tirelessly to respond to the increased need for services during the pandemic.
And for me personally, I truly learned to appreciate the small things I took for granted. Spending more time at home due to restrictions (though strenuous at times) provided for bonding and reconnection with my husband and my 11-year-old senior puppy, which no one can put a price on.
With Appreciation,
Mark