Chair’s Message

It is November, the end of the year is near, and a great deal has happened in just a few weeks.  As I write this, we have a new President Elect and Pfizer has a vaccine, BNT162b2, that is apparently more than 90% effective against Covid-19 and that could start to be available by December giving hope against the virus that is surging everywhere in our country. 

And that leads me to my message this month…Hope.  It has undoubtedly been a very difficult year for a variety of reasons even excluding the pandemic, but I have a renewed sense of hope. According to an article in the December 2011 edition of Psychology Today, entitled “The Wills and Ways of Hope”, hope is actually something that human beings are psychological hardwired to do and greatly impacts our lives. “Hope is also not just a feel-good emotion, but a dynamic cognitive motivational system. Hope-related cognitions are important. Hope leads to learning goals, which are conducive to growth and improvement. People with learning goals are actively engaged in their learning, constantly planning strategies to meet their goals, and monitoring their progress to stay on track.”

While I have loftier hopes of racial equality, pandemic cure, environmental impact advancements and erasure of diametrically opposed political discord, at this moment my hopes are smaller.  I hope that the SSF Section is providing our members with what they need and want.  I hope our members are making it through these trying times and I hope that we can come together soon in real events where I can shake hands, give hugs and raise a glass to overcoming the immense challenges 2020 has thrown at us.

November is the month we celebrate Thanksgiving and give thanks for what we have.  I am thankful for so much, but in large part this Thanksgiving I will be thankful for the hope I have for 2021 and what we will accomplish together.  #WeAreSSF 

Sabrina Green
Chair, Solo and Small Firm Section