The year is almost over! Where did it go? We can show you with this week's roundup

At the end of every year, we muse about how fast or slow the year went by. Sometimes, we count our blessings and our losses, trying to assess the meaning of it all as we prepare for the new year coming right after the holidays. The last two years have been a little different, you know, with an ongoing global pandemic and all. To say that we survived is an understatement. To be mournful for those who have not survived is a devastating, heartwrenching, frustrating practice. But this is how our year has been, and for this year's final roundup, I sat with all of that and contemplated what I'm looking forward to as the new year is right around the corner.

In 2022, I will be contemplating the art of play, finding the story that’s true for me, considering what spaces I feel safe in, and what access means to me. I don’t expect 2022 to be “better” but I do insist on change—for me and for everyone—because it is long overdue.

I want to say thank you for your readership, your contributions, and your loyalty throughout 2021 and years past. It means a lot to me that I get to share these thoughts with you, and I'm honored that I get to curate these kinds of stories for a platform. I hope you find insight through what we've published this year, and I wish you the very best going into the new year.