I know I show my age, or at least my aging, when I say this: But where has the last year gone? Time seems to just keep going faster and faster.

Of course, looking back on this past year, I would say it can’t get in the rearview mirror soon enough.

We were so glad to see 2020 disappear, but when we flipped the calendar to the new year, 2021 said, “Hold my beer.”

Every new year brings with it a glimmer of hope, the hope for a new beginning. Early in the new year, a new administration was installed in Washington. We’re holding judgment on the hope that brings.

The coronavirus rode along with the calendar change, but vaccines are now available, and apparently that is not the silver bullet that had been hoped for.

We all know that agriculture has its shares of ebbs and flows, and 2021 has proven to have all of that, with much of the western United States locked into a drought. The value of rain and moisture, and irrigation systems is quite evident as the “haves” (those with moisture of some sort) are reaping decent yields, while the “have-nots” are not.

One side note on the impact of the drought are the surprises facing farmers who thought they were the “have-nots,” getting very little rain and no irrigation to rely on. Yet, when it came time for harvest, they were pleasantly surprised with the yields they were bringing in, even some saying, “Best crop I’ve ever had.”

For those “haves,” they should be riding the perfect storm with decent grain prices and good yields. That perfect storm only comes to fruition with effective marketing, and that’s on you.

I have witnessed other years like this. No rain when the crops really needed it, or no rain at all, yet yields come in through the bin roof. Kudos to the geneticists who work diligently to help farmers get the most out of their crop. They definitely earned their keep again this year.

Sadly though, this drought pattern doesn’t appear to be lifting as we look to 2022. We should all unite on bended knee to pray for at least some soil moisture recharge across the region.

On a broader scale, we have all witnessed the supply chain debacle. If you want something now, you should have ordered it a year ago. If you need something, you may have to learn to do without, depending on what that item is. Some of these supply chain hiccups are blamed on lingering COVID-19 issues, including shortages in the workforce.

Keep proper perspective

While all of the above are real and important issues facing society, 2021 has brought on its share of issues that hit too close to home. All too many of us have experienced COVID-19, either directly or indirectly. Some of us have contracted the virus and survived, but sadly some of our loved ones have not been so lucky.

As we enter the holiday season, some of our tables will not be as crowded. Personally, my own mother left us this summer, not due to COVID-19, but the virus played a part in her final chapter. A nursing home had been her residence the last 4½ years, and when the pandemic hit and nursing homes were on lockdown, visits became infrequent or nonexistent.

Fortunately, the lockdown had been lifted before she entered hospice, and we were able to visit her for the last month of her life. These visits were one-sided, as she was unresponsive when I’d visit and read to her from the Bible. Maybe I was reading more for myself, and maybe Mom and God knew I needed that. I still like to think she was in there somewhere and welcoming the scripture delivery.

As we near the end of this year, let’s hope, as we always do, that next year will be better. Let’s hope 2022 brings an end to the pandemic, brings a recharge to soil moisture and brings solutions to supply chain issues.

My hope for you also, is that if you have lost a loved one this year, don’t look at your family’s table as being one person short, think of it from the aspect of the table full of memories. Look around your table, because chances are your departed loved one also touched everyone else seated with you. At least, that is my hope for you.

A glance around that table should also help you put all of the oth