By Ralphine Major

The Christmas carols have been sung; Christmas presents unwrapped; Christmas tree decorations put away; and Christmas celebrations with family have been captured in digital pictures to enjoy.  I pause to process the holiday timeline for 2021 and find it hard to imagine that we are already well into the new year.  As I heard the news that the holidays are officially over, I thought about COVID’s endless grip and the devastating storms that ushered in New Year’s Day.

It is amazing that one tick of time on the clock takes us from one year to the next.  At 11:59 p.m. on December 31, it was still 2021.  Many may have felt a tinge of sadness to say farewell to the year that brought so many challenges.  The midnight hour announced an exciting new year full of hope and promise even as our nation approaches a third year of COVID.  A growing list of schools and colleges have announced delays in the start of their spring semesters.  The list of in-person events being canceled continues to grow.  Holiday travelers have dealt with canceled flights and soaring gas prices.  2022 delivered early for those who were wishing for snow.  While it caused havoc for holiday travelers, the early morning snowfall was a reminder of the beautiful Christmas Eve snow that 2020 gave us.  May the blessings of this new year be many.  Have a great 2022!

Words of Faith: “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” Genesis 1:1 (KJV).