Oh, LAWD, here we go...

So here we are, finally at the end of a year that's been called more names than Prince. 

​Hey, leave His Royal Purpleness out of this... Oh, wait that was me.

I’m not going to insult you with any "2021 is going to be our year" mumbo-jumbo.

Okay, sure I do lean a tad pessimistic. But I don’t think the 2021 fairy is going to fart out a bunch of magical glitter that somehow makes all of our problems from 2020 go away at the stroke of 12.

Nope. 

Nope.

Leslie Knope. That is not what is going to happen. Not if we keep on keepin' on with no change but the year.

Do you know the song, "Let There Be Peace on Earth" by Jill Jackson Miller? She felt God's peace and unconditional love while struggling with feeling suicidal, which inspired the song. I'll admit, there have been times in my life when that song could elicit some serious eye-rolling. But this is THE message. 

If "We're all in this together" is to become more of an actual fact (remember those?) and less of a gag-inducing slogan, we need to start with #1. We have to shift our perspective from "So-and-so really needs to hear that message" or "What the heck were they thinking?" to focus on what we can actually control: our own actions and attitudes. 
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We can pray for each other without the judgetastic "Imma pray for you" bit, which actually means "I'm killing' it, but you could use some work."

I’m going to worry about myself. Not a neighbor down the street, some group in Washington, or a country halfway around the globe, tempting though that may be to blame for our woes. However, the jury is still out on my continued ability to endure an intermittent and disturbing lack of an appropriate ply of toilet paper.

Instead, my plan is to look inward to see what I can change. How I can be better? And maybe, just maybe, a little bit of that self-reflection will start to ripple out like a pebble in a pond.

Hey, I’m not saying it’s a perfect plan. But it's worth a go. I'm going to give 2021 the best "bend and snap" I've got.

​So... Who's with me?

I hope you'll be encouraged to hang in there. Do what you can do and leave the rest up to God, or your higher power as you understand them. If that's you, mad props. I don't have that much strength or espresso.

As for yours truly, I have some MAJOR plans for 2021 that will upend my entire life, if I have the gumption to see them through. Prayers, y'all. Positive change, but serious ALL IN change none the less. I'm excited to start sharing it with you all soon.

Until then, here's wishing you all a very happy, and hopeful, New Year.

​G.G.

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Thank you for a great year!

I want to thank everyone who grabbed a copy of my new book, Pain Is My Spirit Animal. It debuted at #14 on Amazon in the poetry category ton it's first day, and went as high as #6 in December. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!