Editor’s Note

By Stacy M. Menz, PT, DPT

The theme of the November issue is “Year in Reflection.”

I find this especially poignant because as I sit here writing this my little guy is turning one in five days and I have been regularly reflecting on where the past year has gone, not only in terms of speed but also how my life looks different right now than I was expecting it to. In addition, this is my last editor letter for Impact after six years and 66 letters. And finally, 2020 has happened, which has included a pandemic, racial unrest, the passing of Ruth Bader Ginsberg and John Robert Lewis (who, regardless of your political affiliations, made huge impacts in the world), crazy and intense weather across the country, and record-breaking wildfires in both size and volume. There are so many things to process and reflect on that it can be overwhelming.

So, I am going to start with focusing on gratitude. I am grateful that I had the opportunity to serve the section as the editor of this amazing publication for the last six years. I have learned so much and met so many amazing people during that tenure. I am grateful that I have had more time at home with my little guy and been able to see him grow and develop as a result of the pandemic. I am grateful that my company was able to pursue other areas of innovation that we had talked about but never invested the time required to launch them. What’s that quote, “Don’t let a good crisis go to waste”? I am grateful that I have been able to connect more with people as a result of technology and quarantining than I may have if life had continued as planned this year.

Does that mean that this year hasn’t had challenges? No, it has on many levels, but if we can all take some time to look around our lives for what there is to be grateful about then generally we can reframe things. While it may not seem so, one takeaway from the book Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy by Sheryl Sandberg rings true: “it can always be worse.”

I have loved being the editor of this publication and watching it grow and develop over the years. I have loved brainstorming with the editorial board every year to adapt the publication to better meet the members’ needs. I loved that when the pandemic hit we were able to put together a special issue in such a short amount of time because of the amazing contributions of the editorial board and the members of this section. I am excited to watch how this publication continues to grow and evolve over the years and I am excited to be able to pass the torch to Kristen Wilson as the new editor. It has been so amazing to have her support as assistant editor over the last few year.

So in closing, thank you all for your support, wisdom, innovation, time, energy, and willingness to think outside the box!