How Do You Measure a Year?

"525,600 minutes, how do you measure a year in the life? In daylights? In sunsets? In midnights? In cups of coffee? In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife?" We all know these iconic Rent lyrics from the song "Seasons of Love," and perhaps never have they been so apt. Do we measure this past unprecedented pandemic year…in Covid tests? In six feet of social distance? In Zoom calls? Funny enough, I actually heard “Seasons of Love” performed recently by a Zoom choir. 

It's hard to believe that a little over one year ago the pandemic was officially declared and the 'lockdown' began, along with work from home for many of us. I started sending grantee partners a weekly update, which began with the foundation sharing what it would do in response to the moment: from an additional year of funding to all grantee partners (#PlusOne) to covering their Zoom subscriptions. Thanks to the support of our Board and staff, we were able to move quickly and implement this response in a matter of days in March 2020.

I’ve been reflecting on the early days of shelter in place and these memories surfaced: trying to find masks, hand sanitizer, and Lysol; crossing the street or walking in it when someone approached from the other direction; wiping down groceries with disinfectant; figuring out how to navigate school, work, and life with limited WiFi; hoarding toilet paper if you could find any; cheering and clapping at 7pm for essential workers; and of course, washing hands for 20 seconds, not touching your face, and staying six feet apart.  

One memory that will always give me a chuckle was the day I walked into a bank branch looking like Jesse James, with only my eyes showing below a cap and above a bandana—and being warmly received instead of sized up as a robber. One that makes me exhausted just thinking about it was walking to the office (only twice!) because I was reluctant to ride the subway–it was a 2 and 1/2 hour walk each way.

A lot has changed since then, and a lot hasn’t. But what I know is this: I’ve been in a reflective mood lately, but I’m looking forward to thinking ahead again. To looking forward, in all senses of that expression. 

My weekly emails to grantee partners were envisioned as a short-term way to stay in touch during that period and keep our community abreast of developments—but now they’ve come full circle with 52 editions. But here I am, about to dive into year two. One of the things I’m looking forward to? Reimagining those emails as a forum that covers topics other than how the pandemic is impacting our work lives. I’m in the process of sorting that out, and I’m also in the process of turning some of the thoughts in those emails into a regular column here on the blog.

Many of you have been following our Lisa Pilar Cowan’s terrific column over on The Chronicle of Philanthropy. Lisa is getting ready to wrap up that column in April, and we both thought it might be a nice moment to take on a column of my own. It’s an adventure I’m looking forward to, and I’d love to hear from you. If you have thoughts on what you’d like to see and read, please give me a shout. Otherwise, stay tuned. It’s been a year, and here’s to a better one ahead.

Onward!