Happy New Year! Like most people, I am delighted to have said goodbye to 2020 and optimistic that 2021 will be a year of new opportunities.
Not that there weren’t events to celebrate last year. Amid the doom and gloom and losses caused by the global pandemic there were some bright spots that allowed us moments to celebrate. (Approval and beginning distribution of a vaccine top the list, while my personal list includes new babies in our family.)
The Columbus Crew SC winning the 2020 MLS Cup was something for central Ohio to celebrate! Hosting and winning the MLS Cup in MAPFRE Stadium was a great way to close out the year. Looking ahead, construction and plans are rolling along for the organization’s new home in Confluence Village, slated to open late July 2021.
We have much to look forward to this year, including taking charge of our mental and physical health. Editor Mallory Arnold introduces two health assessment tools in her article on heart health. (I’m not sharing how I scored – but I will be retaking the quiz to monitor improvement!)
Resist the urge to stay indoors this winter. A very attainable health goal for 2021 is to get outdoors more.
Doctors in 33 states and Washington D.C. are writing nature prescriptions and multiple studies show that simply being outside has a positive effect on mental health. And, the U.S. National Park Service Office of Public Health’s Healthy Parks Healthy People program promotes parks as a “powerful health prevention strategy,” locally and nationally
For more health insights, check out what Dr. Michael Flores says about screen time on page 32. Do your kids spend too much time on their phones? Do you?
If you’ve been putting off making a positive change in your life, this is a great time to get on the bandwagon. After all, January is named after Janus, the god of beginnings and transitions in Roman mythology.
As we continue to move from surviving to the realm of thriving in 2021, please be safe and kind.
Read on,
Kathy Gill
