Letter from the President January 2021

“Entering 2021 with 2020 Vision”

Dear Reader,

Without doubt this past year, 2020, was a year like no other. Our entire global community was shut

down by an invisible invader that can enter the human body undetected, causing disease and death.

Nations locked down to limit spread of the disease. Many businesses were forced to close their doors

and send employees home, often without pay. And, all of us were masked and socially distanced,

without permission to embrace.

Hospital nurses and physicians spent the year caring for those who were desperately ill. Dressed in

personal protection equipment from head to toe, they set aside their own safety to care for the sick.

One nurse wiped tears from her eyes to say that she had just talked to a patient who appeared fine but

two hours later was dead. The year could not end soon enough.

At our Institute, we could not hold face-to-face meetings. We adapted by offering dozens of online

support groups for healthcare providers, teachers, veterans, and for those who were anxious and

depressed. The need was greater than expected as the groups were soon over-subscribed.

Those who lost a loved one in 2020 suffered not only the loss of a spouse, parent, or child, they also

could not hold a memorial service to mark the death of their loved one. This made closure difficult and

they were denied the customary support of family and friends. Instead, they were forced to grieve at

home alone.

To meet this need, we offered weekly online grief support groups and hurting souls joined us from

across our nation and beyond its borders. They were grateful they were not alone. Being with others

who were grieving gave great comfort. Expressions of thanks and appreciation for our online meetings

were heard in every meeting.

Of course, there were good things that happened for many, if not all of us. Working from home, we had

more time to spend with our family. We had time to read, listen to the music of Mozart and Beethoven,

tend our garden, play games, watch online movies, and walk our neighborhoods. We cooked meals at

home instead of going out to restaurants. We contributed to non-profit organizations serving those in

need of life’s most basic necessities - food and shelter.

For many, attending religious services are a high point of the week, but not this year. Instead, we were

not able to gather in our churches, synagogues, mosques, and temples. We were left with watching

religious services online which felt distant and less meaningful. We missed being with parishioners we

loved. Services that marked the beginning of the week were gone and many of us asked, “I lost track,

what day is this?”

Yet, this reality caused many to seek the divine through religious practices that are always available

privately – prayer, meditation, and the reading of sacred writing of our tradition. And, the absence has

caused many to anticipate returning to their religious homes for corporate worship and to be with those

they love so deeply.

We enter the year 2021 with vaccinations on the horizon, and we know -- with 2020 vision -- that we

have much for which to be grateful. Vaccinated, we will be able to safely reenter our houses of worship

with grateful hearts. We will begin to dine again with family and friends in our homes and at our favorite

restaurants. We will once again take flights to sites far and near. And, like never before, we will be

grateful for every warm embrace, every hug, and every kiss.

2020 was truly a year like no other. With grateful hearts we enter 2021 knowing it will be the year we

can once again experience the joys that all life has to offer.

John K. Graham, MD, DMin

President & CEO

Institute for Spirituality and Health