By Abe Villarreal

Sometime in the future, I hope our children will be reading an article a lot like this:

From March of 2020 to March of 2021, Americans changed their growing habit of sitting and watching, and scrolling and liking, and threw in a little more listening and understanding.

From March of 2020 to March of 2021, instead of posting selfies, we started sharing moments that made others think about their own lives. Moments that showed neighbors and friends, families and loved ones.

From March of 2020 to March of 2021, we spent a little more money on things that mattered, instead of cheap thrills. Things like sending a card to a loved one or buying a box of food for a neighbor in need.

From March of 2020 to March of 2021, because we learned to smile a little more because appreciating the small things in life was hard not to do.

From March of 2020 to March of 2021, people in other places, far away places, began to see us as the people we feel that we already are, people known for their generosity and their willingness to share with strangers.

From March of 2020 to March of 2021, we opened our doors, rather than closed them. We welcomed others with open arms, and we lived up to the old belief that we should treat others as we would like to be treated.

From March of 2020 to March of 2021 we became a little less nervous, and a little more open to showing others who we are in our most vulnerable moments. Believers openly believed, and non-believers weren't bothered by it.

From March of 2020 to March of 2021, we were proud to be Americans. We raised our flags high, and we said the pledge, all the words, not just the ones that we felt comfortable saying.

From March of 2020 to March of 2021, when someone wanted to make a difference in our local communities, we were open to listening to their ideas, rather than disregarding them because of the letter on their voter registration card.

From March of 2020 to March of 2021, people stepped up to the plate to make a change. When there was a need, we didn't wait for others to fix it. We found a way to solve the problem. 

From March of 2020 to March of 2021, we taught our sons and daughters that it was OK to go out and try things, hard things. The kinds of things that make us want to give up but also teach us important life lessons.

From March of 2020 to March of 2021, we were a little closer to forming that more perfect union we read about. That place we've been trying to become for such a long time.

Abe Villarreal writes about the traditions, people, and culture of America. He can be reached at abevillarreal@hotmail.com.