“There’s still more work ahead. But I’ve said many times: As tough as this pandemic has been, we will get through it. We will rebuild our economy, reclaim our lives, and get back to normal. We’ll laugh again. We’ll know joy again. And we’ll smile again — you know, and now see one another’s smile, look at the smiles on other people’s faces. Better days are ahead, I promise you.”
–Joseph R. Biden Jr., May 13, 2021.
It was a lovely Thanksgiving from my small corner of the world on the Central California coast. As I had a chance to reflect upon the past year, I felt a curious mixture of gratitude, optimism and trepidation.