By Zaida Govan

The end of a year always symbolizes new beginnings. I try to never make New Year’s resolutions because I can never keep up with them. So, what I do is make my resolutions throughout the year.
This year, however, is truly going to be filled with new beginnings for me and my family. This will be the first full year that my husband and I are empty-nesters and we love it. My granddaughter would come over almost every weekend and now she’s not because her mother moved to another state. I have been traveling down South now to see them but, of course it is not the same as having them close by. I do miss them, but we love our house without them.
I am starting the new year with my own private practice which I have been talking about doing since I received my Master’s degree in 2008. After passing the LICSW exam, I can finally start my practice. I look forward to helping a lot of people with their life struggles. I am also starting the new year as the new Ward 8 City Councilor which is so exciting. I have been the president of the Indian Orchard Citizens Council (IOCC) for over 6 years now and have been doing the work in my community even before then. I started community gardens in Mason Square and Forest Park. The IOCC hosts the annual Food Truck Festival, the Chess in the Parks and we recently started the Senior Bings. I can’t do any of this alone, of course, and I will not be able to do anything on the City Council without the help of the community. I am looking forward to doing the things we need in our city to have a good quality of life so that our youth and families will want to continue to live here and raise their families here.
All of these new beginnings this year can be challenging especially when they are all happening at once. The challenges I foresee include what we saw in the election in November when only 10 percent of the population voted. I don’t believe that this means people aren’t interested in what is happening in the city; to me it means that they are disillusioned with the status quo, and they are looking for change. I hope to be part of that change. That is why the majority of the almost 1000 voters in Ward 8 voted for me. They like the work that I have been doing in the community and they want me to continue doing that work at the city level.
New beginnings are essential in life and this year for me will be the year of so many new beginnings. I hope and pray that everyone has a happy and safe New Year in 2022 and that the new beginnings they encounter are enjoyable and successful. ■