One question often raised during the last year was, When will we return to normal? We've talked about the possibility of a new normal. But what did some aspects of our old normal really look like, and is it worth returning to it? Is this an opportunity for us to reset?

As more people are vaccinated and there seems to be a bit of a light at the end of the tunnel, at least in the US, some sense of normal is beginning to return. Unfortunately, one of those normal aspects is the media coverage of mass shootings. Such coverage had become a terrifying part of our old normal, but had virtually ceased to exist during the height of the pandemic. However, in the last two weeks, this country has experienced two horrific mass shootings with extensive media attention. One of these shootings targeted the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community specifically, adding to the attacks that have been increasing over the past year.

Our hearts are broken for the families and friends tortured by all of these events. (As of this writing, the Gun Violence Archive tells us that there have been almost 40 mass shootings with four or more victims in the United States in March of 2021 alone.) Our anger is stirred knowing that if our country fully believed in teaching children about acceptance of all people, offered better mental health care options and adopted stricter gun laws, these shootings may not have happened. Moreover, we pledge to do our part to lift up the teaching of the history of the AAPI community in the United States to help combat the senseless targeting of people in this community.

Amidst a rising tide of violence in our society, and as we do our best to wrestle with the COVID pandemic, we know what some of the basics are that we’d like back in our lives -- to be able to spend time with our family and friends, to get back to a community workspace possibly, and to have all children in school…in person…every day. We look to these basics to center us.

I’d be so interested to learn what else about your pre-pandemic life you hope to bring back into your new normal. And, what specifically would you leave behind? We’re at an inflection point. Spring is in the air, and we have an opportunity to reflect, reset and reprioritize.