How will we look back on the summer of 2020? It has been like no summer ever in my life. It has been filled with heartache as hundreds of thousands of Americans have gotten sick and died from a deadly virus. It has been tragic and yet inspiring around racial issues and the awareness that has come from so many of these issues. This summer has been filled with family time and scary news stories. It has been family dinners and too much togetherness. It has been a summer of dichotomies.

I’ll look back on this summer with incredible gratitude for a home to shelter in, careers that survived this challenging time for both my husband and me, time with two of our children, and gratitude that our oldest child is now happily married and sheltering with his new wife and puppy. I’ll also look back at this summer with pain for all of those who were sick, lost loved ones, the horrible divisiveness in our country, the devastation of systemic racism, and the racist words of some whom I used to think of as friends. It has been a summer of extreme emotions.

The summer of 2020 will either have been a time of incredible growth and learning or a page in history in which lives were lost unnecessarily and time was wasted on political egos versus emotional awareness. Or maybe it will have been both. Will it be a summer where we see the death of science and critical thinking or the end of fake news and propaganda? I hope the latter, but time will tell. It has been a summer of differing opinions.

Each of us will have our own memories of this time. I hope history books will give an honest appraisal of what has happened to our world and to our country. I pray that we will learn and grow and see we are all in this together. If we don’t find a way to unite, we will surely hasten the end of life as we know it. The summer of 2020 has taught me to take nothing for granted. Education and knowledge is the key to our survival as a species. People will hold on to their beliefs even if it means their own demise, and others will continue to raise their voices in an effort to help us all. The summer of 2020 has been a summer of hope and heartbreak, of friends and family, and of solidifying values and priorities. It has been a summer like no other. 

Love,

Lisa Kaplin Psy. D. PCC