Dec 8, 2020 - 
and
Happy New Year!
I have always tried to adhere to the old saying, “Don’t wish your life away!”
And generally, I strive to hold on to that mantra and live mindfully day by day in the present. However, I must confess that I will be more than a little ecstatic to say good-bye to 2020 and welcome in the New Year of 2021! How about you?
This has certainly been one for the record books and will forever be remembered as the year of living differently than we ever have before. Terms rarely used before this year, such as social-distancing, masking, sanitizing, etc. have become the new norm of everyday conversation. Our work and recreation and behavior have become governed by the “daily case count”.
In many ways we have found ourselves in a holding pattern --- waiting for new therapies, waiting for the vaccine, waiting for things to get back to “normal”.
However, in the midst of such a time as this, we have drawn upon inner strength and determination as we looked for new ways to do those things which had to be done and which are most important. I reflect upon all that has been done this year in our own College of Pharmacy to weather the storm and teach student pharmacists what it really means to be an outstanding professional and a resilient healthcare provider working in the middle of a pandemic. More than ever, I am filled with humility and pride to be a member of the greater pharmacy profession, which has stepped up to the challenge of seeking and actually providing the solution to this global crisis!
My heart goes out to the many who have struggled and suffered much during the year of 2020, and I certainly would never wish for our world to go through another year like this again. However, many hard life lessons have been taught to us during this time. As we look ahead toward the New Year and a return to life and activity as we want it to be; I pray that we will discover a new and better, kinder normal. In addition, to all that we have learned about viruses and vaccines and emergency preparedness, I hope that we remember what we have learned about being thankful for what we have instead of wishing for what we don’t. I hope we learn to count our blessings and hug our friends and loved ones while we can. And I pray that we learn to live more like Jesus taught us by loving our neighbors as ourselves.
Thank you, dear Friends, for your prayers and support for our work here at Union University. We appreciate you greatly and wish you much peace, health, and happiness in the coming new year --- 2021!
Blessings,
Dean Sheila Mitchell