Hit the Reset Button

This time last year I sat down to write this note as publisher of this magazine for the first time. Full of excitement and optimism in my new endeavor, I had no idea what was to come in just a few months. Looking back on 2020 is a challenging exercise in so many ways. We’ve all had experiences that we’d soon forget, but my hope is that we can all find some time to reflect on the beautiful moments that happened among those challenges. Take those memories and file them away in your mental scrapbook, hold them tightly as we endure these last few months of COVID, and be ready to finally hit the reset button and get back to normal later this year.

Every January, for the past 37 years, we publish our ‘Birthing Issue’ as there is no better way to start a new year than by celebrating the addition of that beautiful baby to your family. As we do annually, we have included our guide to local birthing services to help you choose the right hospital to help you welcome your little one to the world. Preparing that section brought a smile to my face thinking about all the precious little babies who will arrive this year and will grow up in a world where mask-wearing and social distancing are only known through stories told by their families at future gatherings and holiday celebrations, attended by as many guests as their homes and tables can fit.

I get a surge of hope thinking about what the 1st birthday parties will look like for all the expectant 2021 babies. I distinctly remember each 1st birthday party for my girls. They were both such beautiful celebrations with friends and family, and I hope that these types of celebrations get back on the calendar by the summer. I’m sure the next set of birthday parties for my daughters later this fall will be of epic proportions.

Until then, we’ll all continue to hunker down and take the necessary precautions to weather the tail end of this 2020 crisis. The light is clearly at the end of the tunnel, and I wish you all the best as we slowly make COVID a thing of the past. Stay healthy, take care of each other, and I hope to see you out and about soon.

Happy New Year!