Goodbye 2020, Hello 2021

Dear Coquitlam Chorale Members,

Christmas time sure doesn't feel the same this year without our concerts to kick off the holiday season. 2020 has probably been the strangest year any of us have ever lived through. I don't think anyone could have imagined what was in store for us when we rang in 2020.

The holidays can be challenging, even at the best of times, but this year especially. With limits on travel and gathering, many of us aren't able to celebrate in the ways that we enjoy and get together with our loved ones this year as we have been able to before.

It's easy to get caught up in all the negativity that this year has brought us, as we hear with increasing frequency the question, "When will this pandemic end?". But in a year of unprecedented change, I want to encourage everyone to remain positive and hopeful as we say goodbye to 2020 and welcome 2021.

In the final weeks of 2020, it seems the world is closer to getting an answer, as vaccines begin to slowly roll out across the world, offering hope for an end to a pandemic that has devastated the lives of so many this year. The Board of Directors will continue to monitor the situation into the new year and will update you when it is safe for the choir to resume singing again.

This holiday season, remember that time and time again, we have seen the power of people and their ability to help one another through crisis.

I hope all of you are able to find ways to enjoy the holidays this year. Reach out to your loved ones, schedule virtual visits, cook up some delicious meals, listen to your favourite songs, get lost in holiday movies, read a good book, work on your hobbies, go for walks, and do your best to practice gratitude and to focus on all the good things that you still have this year.

I don’t know about you, but I’m looking on the bright side of the restrictions – no excuses necessary for lounging on the couch in my pajamas all day for endless movie marathons – after all, it’s the safety-conscious thing to do!

The Board of Directors and I send wishes for a holiday season filled with good health and gratitude to all of you and to the friends and family who’ve seen us through these dark and uncertain times.

Have a Happy Christmas everyone, and here’s to a New Year filled with light, love, laughter, joy, and music for you and yours. And remember, there is a light at the end of the tunnel and we will be able to gather and sing together again.

With love,

Ada Nadison

President, Coquitlam Chorale