1981

1981

I am thinking of you all during this very strange time and hope that you will derive as much comfort as I did from the wise wo rds written by our very own Jocelyn (Jody Awad) Evans, a licensed social worker, reproduced here with her permission: “This may feel daunting, overwhelming, and for some devastating. The only time we witness personal growth is when adversity exacerbates our greatest fear: uncertainty. Our goal in life is to learn how to tolerate ambiguity, because everything is ambiguous. This virus has the possibility of helping us reach our best self. Ifthe world suffers universallyfromthe same epidemic, we have greater unity, as we are all hoping for the same result. Such similarity makes each and every one of us the same—no one is better, no one is worse. Rather, we are humans understanding each other’s plight. This world fight may mitigate escalating wars, decrease mass shootings, and engender a greater sense of oneness. Use this time to communicate and create greater harmony in yourself and your family. Reflect on fractured relationships by contemplating what you can change to increase emotional intimacy. Lastly, cherish all for which you are grateful. Remember, it is always darkest before dawn.” Thank you, dear Jody, for this uplifting message.

Because of the pandemic, our 40th reunion will now be held in 2021, the actual 40th anniversary of our graduation. In the meantime, we can look forward to the fun events that our reunion committee has been planning to keep us all connected virtually between now and the time we are able to get together physically in Hanover. Stay tuned for communications in this regard from our reunion chairs, Lynne Gaudet and Rick Silverman.

In non-Covid-related news, Larry Glance writes, “Gail and I have been making more frequent trips to campus recently as our son, John, graduated as part ofthe Dartmouth class of 2018 and our daughter, Katie, is a ’23. We will be heading to Oxford this spring to attend John’s graduation ceremony for his master’s degree in financial economics. He is working at Lazard in N.Y.C. Just before his Dartmouth graduation John hiked the 22-mile Presidential Traverse in one day. The following month we hiked the Swiss Alps as a family—but at a much more leisurely pace! We couldn’t get enough of that incredible scenery and returned to hike there again this past summer. This fall Katie served as co-chair ofthe bonfire build committee. We had a wonderful time at Homecoming and were excited to see Katie light the bonfire!”

Finally, I am sad to report the passing of classmates Bruce Davidson, Tod Maday, and Craig Seligman. May they rest in peace.

Stay safe and healthy and please continue to send your news and answers to the big question series to our class email address: d.81.news@ gmail.com.

Veronica Wessels

—Veronica Wessels, 224 Buena Vista Road, Rockcliffe, ONK1MOV7, Canada; (613) 864-4491; vcwessels@rogers.com; Emil Miskovsky, 520 Seneca St., Suite 312, Utica, NY13502; (802) 345-9861; emilmiskovsky@gmail.com