Lynne Silva-Breen

Happy Christmas! When the early Christian church celebrated the birth of Jesus, it easily adopted the date of Dec. 25 and the theme of returning light, life and hopeful celebration from ancient pagan celebrations of the winter solstice. Over the centuries and across multiple continents, these cultural traditions have morphed and mingled together. It’s impossible, really, to pull them all apart anymore.

We are two months into the public health crisis of the novel coronavirus pandemic. Your life has been upended, as has mine. I’ve been thinking about all the ways this emergency slowdown has affected you. What is life like in your home? Are you retired and watching your investments shrink, or a parent forced to become schoolteacher as well as employee, parent and spouse? Do you live alone, with your spouse, with a housemate or pet?

This past week, I attended the 58th Nobel Conference at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter. Held each year on a topic of scientific importance, this year’s theme was the inequities in mental health care for minority youth. Researchers who study this topic presented their research and participated in panel discussions. Hundreds of us, including therapists, middle and high school staff, parents, faculty, alumni, and students, were present for the two-day event.