My list of hopes and wishes for everyone in 2021
Stephen H. Provost
It’s common to make resolutions for the new year, and I have a few of those. But I also have some New Year’s wishes for everyone who happens to follow this space.
Fresh air
More civility, less hostility
Less authority, more humility
A safe return to hugs, handshakes, big-screen movies, and dinners out
More inspiration than we know what to do with
Purring cats
Walks and picnics in the park
Road trips
Items checked off our bucket list
Holidays spent safely with loved ones
Less hero worship and more real heroes
Virus-free rock concerts and sporting events
Fewer conspiracy theories and more scientific theories
Police reform, not police brutality
Scented candles
Words of encouragement
History revived, not revised
Better pay for teachers
Compassion, not condemnation
More books
More copy editors (I can dream)
Fewer talking heads
Criticism that’s constructive, not condescending
Credibility
Independent thought, not blind loyalty
Less corruption in government (again, I can dream)
More wine and less whining
More roses and fewer posers
Cedar and birch, oak and fir and redwood, from saplings to sequoias… trees!
Progress
Clean water
Genuine happiness
Music from our favorite bands
Encouragement
Deep conversations and meaningful connections
Good deeds
Fresh starts and new beginnings
That other door opening
Best feet put forward
Social media sites that actually works for users
A few billy goats gruff to scare away the trolls
Masks
Sanity in the White House
Old friends reunited
New friends made
Endangered species thriving
The middle class surviving
Fewer animals in shelters, and more in happy homes
Comedies that make us laugh without a laugh track (thank you, Schitt’s Creek)
Horror movies without cliches
Logic
Less hurt, more healing
Empty ICU beds
On-time mail delivery
More students, fewer loans
Clean energy
More women in office — and corner offices
Fewer scapegoats, more solutions
A cure for cancer
The great American novel
Friendly greetings
Swiss cheese
French bread
Italian sausage
Free-range chickens
Free-thinking Americans
More listening, less pontificating, and far more understanding
Salads with blue cheese crumbles
Geography lessons
Empathy
Gratefulness
Open arms, not closed minds
Innocence, not ignorance
The courage to be different, or just to be ourselves... or maybe both
Personal growth
Objectivity
Sincere apologies and second chances
Democracy
Human rights
Letting go and letting good things happen
Perseverance
Hard work and soft hearts
Faith that isn’t blind, hearts that aren’t deaf, and hope that isn’t silent
Wisdom passed down over time, and time spent wisely
Gifts given thoughtfully and with love
Opinions offered without strings, and received without burden
Less stress, more relief
Distant train whistles, not honking horns
Sighs of wonder, not resignation
Sweet dreams and sound sleep
Fairytales with happy endings
Clarity
Innovation
Discovery
Adventure
Gentle rains and tender kisses
Fluffy clouds floating through clear blue skies
Evergreen trees and evergreen hopes
Pine forests... that don’t burn down
Tempers that don’t burn hot
A hoot owl’s cry and a songbird’s serenade
Seashells bestowed by crashing waves on clean, deserted beaches
Palm trees waving in a gentle breeze
Desert sunsets
White Christmases
Happy holidays
Birthday smiles
Laughter
Love
Happy New Year to all my readers and everyone else on this spinning globe we share. May it be everything 2020 wasn’t, and more than we even imagine 2021 can be.