As I look back on the events of this past year I have just one thing to say… 

America, what happened to you? You used to be such a beautiful lady; no one could touch your incredible majesty. Your spirit exuded a light that brightened the world and gave hope to the less fortunate. In the farthest, darkest corners of the globe, where despair is a way of life, tragedy an everyday occurrence, you somehow found a way to give courage to those in need, that a beautiful lady cared about them, and that in the eyes of one at least, they mattered.

Today, you look worn, shattered, confused and shocked. You try to put on a good face, hold up your posture, and present yourself as being okay, but it’s obvious you aren’t. What happened? Sure, you made some mistakes when you were younger, including what should be the ones you’ll never forget and always regret. But today, in the midst of your perplexity, there are parts of you that are having lapses of memory. You’re beginning to steer in the direction of old mistakes again. Are you not well?

I know a lot has been asked of you. You carry a heavy load and an even heavier burden. The eyes of the world see your actions as though through the lens of a microscope. Every tiny infraction is magnified in intensity, as it should be. For you are not like just any lady, you are the fairest of them all; at least, you used to be. You don’t look like you feel that way now. You look like you feel uncertain, of yourself, of others and your future. You know you’re strong, you’ve always been, but you’re not sure physical strength is enough to take care of your problems now.

The world is a different place than it used to be. Revolutions can be started with a simple keystroke. You don’t need a giant army to change the course of human existence; all you need is some misguided fool who thinks giving up his life while taking others’ will justify his cause. This weighs heavy on you, I can see. You want to stop this injustice, but you’re not sure how.

You look around you and you see how one part of your body no longer cooperates with the others. Your muscles ache, your joints are sore, your mind says, “Move in the right direction,” but your limbs can’t keep up all the time. Sometimes, they don’t move at all, other times they move too fast and overcompensate. You’re out of sync, and it’s causing you to do things you ordinarily wouldn’t. Your mind knows better though, at least it used to.

You must understand one thing Lady Liberty… no matter what you think of your appearance, no matter how tired and frazzled you feel right now, no matter how much your muscles resist when you try to move and do the right thing, you still have one very big factor in your favor. You have the strongest heart of anyone. Your heart defines you, and no matter what mistakes your body makes, or your mind makes in the moment, your heart always knows what is right. And your heart pumps that much harder to keep you going, to overcome the resistance of your tired muscles, and clear the confusion of contradictory thoughts in your head. Your heart is the single biggest attribute that lets the world know that no matter how things appear in the moment, your heart is strong. It hasn’t lost touch with reality; it remembers the mistakes of the past; it truly knows the difference between right and wrong; it understands the importance of each part working together in harmony; it knows there’s no place in you that benefits from one part working against the other; all parts must work together cohesively, with each having its divine purpose in maintaining the health of the whole, and no one part less important than the other.

The spirit of God is in your heart, so regardless of how it looks right now, your heart will prevail. It will lead you on the right path once again and overcome your physical limitations in the moment. And once again your light will shine brightly. You must know this, Lady Liberty, you must believe in this, your body is dependent on your heart for life, and the rest of the world is, too.

Here’s to a happy, healthy, and peaceful 2018 for all, and may all our hearts beat as one (as Lady Liberty) in the New Year.