From Mona’s desk: So close! but not too close...

So close! There for a while I thought we had it. Yet at the end of four quarters,

Iowa got the win last Saturday.

Christi picked the Hawkeyes, though her prediction was Iowa running away with it 41-17. Nebraska gave as good as it got for a good part of the game Saturday before the interception that sealed the deal, 26-20 Iowa. I was a little closer in the score, 17-14, but I, like Alex, picked the Huskers to win.

There are two regular season games left, though this year, who can use the word “regular” about anything? This weekend it’s Nebraska at Perdue. One source I looked at Monday evening had Nebraska winning by 2.

I say Huskers 30, Perdue 28. Alex hasn’t given up on the Huskers, saying Nebraska 21, Perdue 17. Christi wonders if Big Red can pull off a win but still picks Nebraska 17-10. Hope continues to spring Husker red.

Hope is the word Donnis uses for the Christmas season. Faith and celebrate are the words Mayor Sonnichsen used. What words will you use to keep a positive outlook through the remainder of 2020?

There’s no switch that will make all the frustrations and problems of this year disappear as the calendar flips over to 2021, but I think there still will be something distinctly satisfying to kick this year to the curb.

At the same time, let’s not be too quick to toss out the good with the bad. For a lot of people, many good things happened. Throughout the year, there were marriages and births, new jobs and new beginnings, new creativity and new discoveries.

On a simpler front, there were beautiful sunsets and serene sunrises. We have quieter moments with family and relationships have grown stronger, even when loved ones are distanced. We’ve had beautiful days out in God’s great nature and we’ve learned new ways of doing routine things. We’ve lost loved ones and, if we’re lucky, we smile through the tears with happy memories.

As I once read somewhere, which day would I wish away, which sunrise do I wish I didn’t see? Each and everyday has played a part in making me who and what I am today. Heck, even COVID-19 has contributed to making our resolve stronger, our families tighter and hopefully our hearts more tender.

It’s said that close only counts in hand grenades and horseshoes. Now we can say close, or rather, not being close, counts during COVID-19, too. The city had a fine celebration Monday night with proper social distancing and lots of bright lights. It seems this year is making us all realize what matters and we celebrate each event with a little bit more energy, a little bit more meaning.

Hope. Faith. Celebrate. Good words for the Christmas season, good words for anytime!