On Tuesday, I walked through Central Park and down Fifth Avenue, past Saks (great free bathrooms!) and into Rockefeller Center. I saw the tree, decorated with lights and perhaps more beautiful than ever before. I saw something else too: people loving the tree and each other, and being resilient in the face of the biggest challenge we have faced in our lives.

Everyone walking up to the tree wore their masks, joined arms to take a picture, briefly pulled them down and put them right back up. No one had to tell them. And they looked as joyful as any other year. Maybe a little more so.

Some say New York City is dead, empty, a wasteland. Have they been there lately? I see problems, but I also see enormous perseverance and hope.

Our snow is fading in the warmth, and 2020 is fading as well. We will face 2021 with renewed dedication to overcoming our challenges and improving our home. And our home is the New York area, the United States, and this planet.

With confidence in our armed forces with the unbounding determination of our people we will gain the inevitable triumph so help us God.

Franklin Roosevelt, 1941

We got through that crisis and we are well on our way to beating this one too. We will celebrate the holidays with a renewed appreciation for life, family, friends, and the chance to be together. That’s my plan, anyhow.

Merry Christmas everyone!