This has been a hard year. We’ve been battling the coronavirus in our state for over nine months. I know many Nebraskans are weary. Folks are tired of the virus’ many negative impacts. They’re burned out from Zoom meetings. They’re tired of being unable to hold traditional gatherings with friends and family. And they’re tired of activities and celebrations being postponed.

My kids can be emotional terrorists. That sounds awful doesn’t it? First, I love my children.

America is fortunate to have an excellent higher education system, and is home to many of the world’s greatest and most prestigious universities. During any given year, 20 are enrolled in public and private colleges studying topics ranging from engineering to business to science. Nebraska in particular is proudly home to many world-class universities educating thousands of our young people. It is no wonder that Nebraska consistently ranks among the best states for higher education according to U.S. News and World Report.

Success in life and all its phases can be measured in many ways. Some reminisce of their glory days in high school. Maybe they were captain of the football team or homecoming queen or won the state chess championship. Others excelled in college, graduated summa cum laude, were invited to all the parties, or landed the dream job. Some worked their way up the corporate ladder or took on a big loan and built a successful business over years of hard work or taught multiple generations of students. Hopefully, most have worked and saved enough through the years to finally retire.

Nebraskans are known for common sense, tenacity, and grit. When faced with a major challenge, we don’t panic or abandon core principles and long-standing traditions. we pull together to do what’s best for our communities. Whether it’s a pandemic or historic flooding, Nebraskans have shown the world that we can overcome incredible challenges.

When I meet with hospitals and health care viders around Nebraska, both prior to and during the current pandemic, the impact of unnecessary regulations on their ability to care areas at the top of their list of concerns. Over the last four years I have appreciated working with the Trump administration on these issues because of their persistent willingness to listen to rural Americans, take these concerns seriously, and act. We cannot afford to go in the other direction.

79 years after they lost their lives during the attack on Pearl Harbor, two young men are coming home. A moving article in the December 7 Omaha World-Herald tells the story of Fireman 1st Class Louis Tushla and Seaman 2nd Class Charles Alan Jones, two Nebraskans who were serving on the USS Oklahoma when the attack began.

I’ve written before about how, if you work at a weekly newspaper long enough, there is a natural flow to things. Each year, when Thanksgiving comes around, it’s a reminder that winter sports are soon to follow.

Now that the election is over and the dust has mostly settled, I will be turning my attention to the upcoming legislative session. The Legislature will have eight new incoming senators, six of which are new, two are senators. The two former senators were term-limited out, sat out for at least two terms, and have come back for another stint. Of course each new senator changes the dynamic of the Legislature and finding how we all work together is key to the success of the legislative session. Since the election, I have been working to build relationships with these new senators. With senators being termed out, some of the old alliances are now gone. New alliances will need to be forged in order to get things accomplished.

There is an old saying, “it’s always darkest before the dawn.” It has two meanings. The first is that, despite difficulties, there is hope on the horizon. The second meaning is that circumstances can be at their very worst right before things get we enter are reasons to hope an effective vaccine will become available soon—on a limited basis even this month. At the same time, we may be entering the toughest stretch of the pandemic this winter as people head indoors. It’s time for all of us to put our trademark Nebraska grit and determination to work as we buckle up for the coming months of the pandemic.