Wishing my family and friends (and anonymous readers who might someday be my friends) a safe, healthy and uneventful New Year! May 2022 be just an average, unremarkable year. One can hope.

I am terrible at making New Year’s resolutions, but I do like to take stock of life at the end of the year, looking back and looking ahead.

Obviously, the world is a bit chaotic at the moment, and there is much that is out of our control. But there is also much that we can control. We can’t make all our problems go away with a magic wand, but we can still be part of the solution.

Small actions add up, even if it’s something as simple as working on your patience or showing kindness to someone who may not deserve it. Even checking in on a friend who you’ve fallen out of touch with or who may be homebound might make all the difference in that person’s life.

People expect the worst in each other these days. Show them your best. It will leave an impression, and more importantly, shines the little beams of light that will get us out of this dark time.