Have you ever heard the old proverb absence makes the heart grow fonder?
To me, this statement has never rung truer than in 2020. Looking back to life before the pandemic, it is easy to see the past and present as black and white. I miss seeing each other, hugging, and high-fiving. I miss hearing our chants echo off of city walls, our art flooding the parks with vibrant beauty, and the pulsing energy that matches your heartbeat when you are surrounded by 10,000 fellow activists.
Yet somehow, this movement has used its creativity and tenacity to create a new world in the gray spaces, one that has united us in new and profound ways. We showed up for communities that needed us most, we had deeper conversations than ever before, we laughed through Zoom hiccups, and we pushed the boundaries of what we thought was possible because we were forced to see and engage with the world in a new way.
It is this unstoppable, powerful resilience that makes our movement a force of nature, and is the reason we are celebrating each and every one of us as forces of nature…including you.
*To the activists who transitioned from the streets to the screen, you are a force of nature.
*To the parents and teachers raising our future leaders, you are a force of nature.
*To those caring for loved ones or strangers, you are a force of nature.
*To our essential workers, you are a force of nature.
*To anyone just trying to get through another day, you are a force of nature.
Now stop and say this out loud…“I am a force of nature.”
Regardless of your role, you bring something special to 350 Colorado, and we cannot thank you enough for being a part of this movement. Organizing against the most powerful forces in the world is not easy. It takes true warriors like yourself to continue showing up day after day.
As we prepare for likely quieter than usual holidays and a frightening surge of COVID cases, I hope you carry our gratitude with you and the knowledge that you are supported by all of us here at 350 Colorado. That, despite our distance, our hearts will only grow fonder and our movement stronger as we continue onward to 2021.
*Virtual Hugs*
The 350 Colorado Team