Six months ago, it was easy for many Americans to think COVID-19 was on the defensive. Vaccinations were ticking up as case numbers ticked down. Summer sunshine made hanging out outside actually enjoyable, after a cooped-up winter of socializing with just our pods. Maybe, just maybe, Zoom fatigue would soon be a thing of the past.
Six months ago, it was easy for many Americans to think COVID-19 was on the defensive. Vaccinations were ticking up as case numbers ticked down. Summer sunshine made hanging out outside actually enjoyable, after a cooped-up winter of socializing with just our pods. Maybe, just maybe, Zoom fatigue would soon be a thing of the past. Today, that optimism seems miles away. Hospitalizations are hitting new highs. Concerns about school safety amid climbing case counts have working parents and teachers on edge. If you’re not exactly feeling hopeful about the year ahead, you’re not alone. Here are five of our favorite stories spotlighting resilience, healing, and yes, hope, to help you face 2022. 1. ‘Work with hope’ Face it, poet and classics scholar Rachel Hadas writes: “We’re in a prolonged period of maddeningly, scarily bad news.” But if you think that makes our society unique, think again. For as long as humans have been writing, they’ve been facing crises, learning to adap