A gentle snow descends on campus. Flakes waver as they flutter hesitantly below a dark grey tapestry of clouds to meet even darker grey pavement. Shoes crunch against chunks of salt on the concrete. The bitter-cold standing air is still preferable to the viscous bite of January winds. Here we are again. A new year has begun. Only, this year for many has not been met with the normal enthusiasm typical of resolution season. The general attitude of twenty-twenty-two so far seems to be one of melancholy.

After all, why should it not be?

We have lost so much, as a nation, and as a people. It seems only natural that we should observe an appropriate period of mourning before we must carry on. The weight we bear is a heavy one, the path ahead one of turbulence. We deserve this time to reflect on what we have lost. In our strife we have earned this time to remember why we must go on in this world. A world without Betty White.

Many might feel lost, or hopeless without her light. Some people are so radiant, simply knowing that they are out there somewhere, makes the rest feel okay. If she can get through this, then so can we. And when those stars disappear, ships are led astray. Navigating unfamiliar waters can feel pointless without their radiance. There is, however,hope. We are not without bearing in her absence.

This year, we must bear our resilience. It is with a heavy heart we must trudge on, but trudge we will, in honor of those left behind. Two-Thousand Twenty-Two will be the Year of the Survivors. In spite of the world’s troubles, we will find strength in our steps, and overcome its hardships. This will be a year of self-discovery. Take faith, friends, when the melancholy has passed you through. You will discover strength you thought had passed. The bitter snows will turn to warmth once again.

The year has only just begun.