My word for 2021 is shift. Like everyone I know, I’ve learned a lot, since this time last year. One of the biggest things I’ve learned is that change and uncertainty just are. Since I’m not in control of much more than which yoga pants, Zoom-appropriate top, and slippers I’ll wear each day, I needed to figure out how I could deal with all the change and uncertainty. That’s where shifting comes in.

For me, shifts involve acceptance and adjustment. I know I don’t have much control, but I have unlimited choices. I can shift. 

Some of my recent shifts have been pretty significant. Some have been tiny. Some haven’t happened, yet. And I’m sure I’ll make a lot of shifts I can’t even imagine.

I’m not sure how long I’ve known Freida MacDonald, but it’s been decades. We met as ‘baby bankers’. Our eyes were full of hope and possibility. Much has changed in our lives since then, but one thing has remained a foundation – hope.

The billboard above was unveiled, with others, in Wilmington, NC, this weekend. These billboards honor the lives of way.too.young people who’ve lost their lives to opioid addiction. They offer hope and help to people currently living with this disease, their beloveds, and their survivors. Freida made this happen. I know she’d correct me, saying MANY made it happen. So, I stand corrected, honoring all Angel Families, who are living without beloveds because of the opioid epidemic. And I offer deep and humble thanks to each and every one, for generously shifting their heartbreak into hope, for others.

A regional news station recently ran this story about the mission of Know Hope North Carolina, click here to watch it. And here’s a link to Know Hope North Carolina’s website.

If addiction is a reality in your life, you are not alone. Help is available. And your life matters – to many. From no hope to know hope – that’s a profoundly life saving/giving shift.