2020:A Year Of Tragedy

January 1 of each year the United States is full of celebration from corner to corner. Family and friends gather for cookouts, beach/pool parties, concerts, and other special events that go on around the . There are so many different ones that I couldn't possibly list them all. However the one thing that each event has in common happens at 11:59pm. With anticipation and excitement, we watch the ball drop in Times Square for a countdown of the last 10 seconds the year we said goodbye to. When the clock hits zero we say hello to a new year and the world cheers, claps, and dances up and down the streets in each small town and all the big cities. Hugging and kissing our loved ones for another year we get to spend together and grow together. However when we celebrated for the incoming 2020 NEVER could any of us expect what we got. Furthermore, the United States wasn't alone because every country was hit with tragedy and some places more than one.

As usual, the beginning of the year floated by just as any other for most of the world. That is until March 11 when CNN and every local news station reported the severity of the outbreak of COVID-19 and declared the start of; Pandemic. The world as we know it is now faced with wearing masks, staying away from our loved ones for extensive periods of time, school closures, record breaking rates of unemployment, people forced from their homes, homeless forced off the streets, millions of fatalities. Tragedy doesn't end here though. There was more in store for parts of the country(s). For Nashville, Tennessee, particularly at the start of "the year of tragedy" wasn't the same start as many around the globe.

March 3rd marked the start for Nashville when a small but deadly tornado swirled through Middle Tennessee and East Tennessee, taking with it the lives and homes of hundreds. Where department stores and houses once stood was nothing but an empty lot in the blink of an eye. Many Nashvilleians were left devastated, some with no other alternative housing, and looked to the government and community for help. Thousands of dollars and thousands of volunteers later, including myself, teamed up with Hands on Nashville to clean up and restore all that has been lost. 9 months later those efforts continue in a direction that brings hope.

In other parts of the world, the tragedy seems to be never ending with record-breaking wildfires spreading across the state of California, taking the lives of 33 people. The fires started on the morning of August 16. It was so brutal that it took first respondents all the way up to December 24 to get it 90% contained. Normally I'd start this sentence with 'finally' but with the world in turmoil it doesn't seem appropriate because when I'm done writing this or you're done reading the pandemic is still going to continue the burden it' puts on the world.

I can't help but ask myself over and over if these life altering tragedies will ever come to an end. Disappointingly, the higher the global death rate, the harder it is for anyone to believe that they will. Though there are vaccinations now, this is the first time they have been used and there wasn't a very long period of time between trials and FDA approval to convince me that this vaccination is long lasting. If not, how long are we protected? If it is, what are the facts that will lead people to believe that?

As hard as these times have been on each and every one of us and as much as we miss members of our family...social distancing and adding a mask to match that outfit are two of the most important things that we can do to put an end to this. 1,767,187 lives have been lost this far. These two simple tasks will ensure that we will once again wrap our arms around those we love and miss most.

If you're finding that you're having a more difficult time than normal through the pandemic and the policies that follow, IT IS OKAY TO SPEAK UP TO SOMEONE ABOUT IT. SO THAT YOU CAN HAVE SUPPORT AND RESOURCES TO HELP YOU THROUGH IT. IF YOU CAN'T SPEAK UP TO YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS OR CLOSE FRIENDS PERHAPS YOU CAN USE ONE OR MORE OF THE RESOURCES I'VE LISTED BELOW FOR YOU!!

To every single person around the globe who has battled covid and/or someone from it along with any of the tragedies that have taken place this year, my condolences are with each of you. Loss is hard. Especially through unprecedented times like these. A positive attitude not only will help individually but also help our children keep their smiles as well. It takes a couple of simple tasks we can do to help our nation restore the hope that it is trying to take from us.

Stay Positive. Keep Smiling. Keep Shining. Tell everyone you love that you love them. And be willing to just be the ear that listens if someone you know is having a tough time.

WITH LOVE. CHEERS FOR A BETTER TOMORROW AS WE INCH CLOSER TO 2021.

• If you need to talk or have thoughts about suicide you can find help by calling the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or texting the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741

• Join the conversation on mental health and chronic illness by signing up for THE MIGHTY on the web or app.

• In most music forums, you can find podcasts on mental health and more to listen to and use as a resource such as "Purple Persuasion Both Sides of the Couch," airing on Spotify January 1, 2021