As has been our family's tradition for several years, our annual Chanukah celebration takes place on Christmas Day. It’s the most logical time for everyone to get together. The candle lighting takes the place of the tree lighting, and the traditional turkey is replaced with a taco bar. The beautiful buffet was filled with all of the usual fixings: taco shells, tortillas, ground meat, bell peppers, onions, cheese, lettuce and tomatoes, and three kinds of salsa (you get the idea).
Now comes the family discussion over which order to line them up on the buffet. Seven people, seven opinions. Nevertheless, it was a celebration, exactly as we had planned, and we were all grateful for the small family gathering and the opportunity to be together and exchange gifts. Let the rejoicing begin!
In true 2020 fashion, everything still felt a little different even though we were celebrating as usual. I truly hope you all made memories and enjoyed your own celebration with your families.
Perhaps you went hunting or played games with a young child. No matter how big or small your gathering was, just be grateful for it.

The end of 2020 has arrived, so what’s our next step? It has been a historic year by all stretches of the imagination, much to our industry's benefit. We are about to dive headfirst into 2021, but we are ready. COVID-19 vaccines are being distributed, we have a new President about to take office, and a new stimulus bill was just finalized. The important Senate race is just days away. Let’s keep our focus on moving forward in each of our companies and for our wonderful industry. While it may seem difficult not to be distracted by the political environment, we must create our own paths and continue to be proactive and not reactive.
Time will tell, but as with all challenges we have faced, we will forge ahead together because we can.

Our industry, compared to many others, is uniquely accustomed to adversity. Our industry is strong, whether through unstable sales cycles, predatory mass media, aggressive political regulations, or a global pandemic. We stand for what we believe in and are willing to fight for our rights. Despite all the challenges, I’m proud of what we have accomplished in the last twelve months, and I am pleased to stand shoulder to shoulder with all of you as we step into 2021 together. Here’s to an end of all the unfortunate circumstances that 2020 threw at us, and here's to continuing all of the good fortune and lessons that it provided for our future.

So, have a toast to 2021 at midnight, be grateful for what we have, and please have a safe and Happy New Year! Note: If you decide to celebrate with a taco bar, be sure to put the shredded cheese next to the meat. That’s where it belongs.

All the best,

Laurie Lipsey Aronson
President and CEO Lipsey's
NASGW Chairwoman