This year of coping with significant challenges is hopefully beginning to diminish.

As we embark on a new year, we must rely on our resilience and positive attitudes as we navigate through this pandemic. Our community should look to this upcoming year as an opportunity for enriching our community through acts of kindness and selflessness.

We all love Shepherdstown and agree it’s a great place to live, so please let’s use social media to enhance the positive, not the negative. At this time of year and in the months to follow, we can all give gifts to ourselves and each other. My gift suggestions are to meet and greet. Introduce yourself and give a hearty hello. Perform an act of kindness for a friend or neighbor, like shoveling their snow, offering to walk their dogs, shopping for them or even throwing their newspaper on the porch. Other gifts that enrich our community may be volunteering at a Boys and Girls Club, hospital or animal shelters. Pick one and give a gift to all of us and to yourself.

Again, please find ways to be kind and thoughtful. Enjoy the holidays safely. These acts will make our community stronger and bring us together to prepare for the future. We must remember we cannot give ourselves a better past, but we can give ourselves a brighter future. Happy Holidays from the mayor, town council and the town’s dedicated employees.

Wishing you a happy and safe New Year.

Mayor Jim Auxer