Dear 2021,

Your older brother 2020 was a nightmare! 2020 constantly stressed us out the entire year. In January, he caused wildfires to damage over 25 million acres of land in New South Wales, Australia, then made the United States almost start World War III and finally, killed 8 people in a fatal helicopter crash that included retired basketball player Kobe Bryant.

In February, he decided not to remove President Donald J. Trump from office after he was impeached by 2019 – your younger sister. Then he sprouted a couple hundred cases of COVID-19 across the world. The World Health Organization was panicked and so were other major public health organizations across the world. We were warned, but still going out and about.

But by March….ho-ho-ho! By March, 2020 said, “I’m gonna make them remember me.” COVID-19 cases continued to increase, deaths were rising and it was finally declared a pandemic. He shut everything down! No more graduations, no more proms, no more going out to restaurants, gyms, hair salons or anywhere. He made people stay home.

Now, for the rest of the year, you would’ve thought 2020 would’ve slowed down right? Nope! Every month presented a new problem. Murder hornets. Running out of toilet paper. Scarce cleaning products and alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Summer COVID-19 infections. Hungry Monkeys in Thailand. The Pentagon releasing UFO sightings. Three major police brutality cases in the United States sparking massive protests across the world. Months of anti-government riots. More celebrity deaths. And so on…

He showed NO MERCY. But he did bring us clarity. Clarity to the societal issues of the world and where we stand in them. A necessary consequence for his destruction.

It won’t be easy 2021, but you have the power to change things. You have the power to make a first-impression this year that sets the tone for a kinder, more progressive world. You have the power to bring smiles in a world of frowns. You can do this! We believe in you.

Sincerely,

All 7.8 billion of us humans