I’ve thought quite a bit about this year coming to an end. It’s been challenging, some may dare say awful, but there have been glimpses of light in the cave of darkness that we call 2020.

I’m not one for New Year’s resolutions, but before 2020 comes to an end I’m going to spend a few moments reflecting on some of the good which, in turn, may give me a positive outlook as we ring in 2021.

As the final days of December wane I’ve begun my positive reflection. Despite what 2020 may have taken from us, it also offered life. There are new babies in town — Henry, Florence, Abe, Ida and more.

Folks got creative with their businesses which, otherwise, may have been shuttered. Summer brought takeout windows at Menemsha Fish, Larsen’s, the Deli and the Texaco. This creative set up was challenging at first, but now seems normal and efficient. Oddly, I think I’ve had more genuine conversations with folks through the window in these past nine months or so than I have in years past. My dear friend Carl Leaf and I, after realizing we both spent our childhoods in Waltham, had plenty to chat about whenever he’d plant himself on Squid Row. He may be 40-plus years older than me yet we experienced similar things, like shopping at Grover Cronin’s department store for everything from shoes to sheets to coffee pots.

Kids in search of sweets, with coins they’d scavenged from their parents, provided another highlight. Charlotte and Willie, Asa and Nora, Riley and Breyer, Dillon and Gray, gosh, I could go on.

Speaking of kids who stop by regularly for treats, Emily Boyd is one of them. The lovely daughter of Mary (Murphy) and Jonathan celebrates entering her teen years on Jan. 1. Emily, it’s been a pleasure to watch you wander through your childhood. It will be fascinating to watch you navigate your teen years which, I’m sure, you will do with grace. I cannot forget to mention that Sarah Andresen and Jennifer Christy celebrate on Jan. 1 also.

Shopping locally at pop-up opportunities like Wes Brighton’s Martha Rose sea scallops, Allison and Sarah Flanders’ Salt Rock Chocolates, and Jeremy Scheffer’s Vineyard Spearpoint Oysters has added excitement to provisioning because, quite honestly, I think people put these things on their calendars as event-like experiences. We all know waiting in line lends itself to conversation.

The Chilmark Volunteer Firefighter’s Association managed to hold true to tradition, rather than taking the easy way out and forgoing Halloween treats and Christmas presents for our town’s kids.

Caleb, Chris and Celia Slater made it to town to break bread and celebrate Christmas with Jane at her Basin Road home. Scott, Jack, Sarah (Slater) and Aaron Bennett plan a visit as well.

Jan Buhrman packaged up meals in her catering kitchen and delivered them along with some good cheer to unsuspecting recipients. Kathie and Emmett Carroll, Judy and Ted Mayhew, and Everett Spees among others were some grateful recipients, not only of the sustenance, but of the heartwarming conversation that went along with it. As an aside, my condolences go out to Dr. Spees on the recent death of his wife Ann Boyer.

Brooks had gym class back in the spring and rather than doing calisthenics in front of the computer screen his teacher gave them weekly assignments that involved body movement, photography and a little journaling. I saw this as an opportunity for me, so we took evening beach walks and called it gym. We walked fast, chatted, skipped rocks, looked for sharks’ teeth and spotted birds.

As I said before, I could go on and on, but you get the gist. Take a few moments to reflect positively yourself. You’ll be surprised when you realize there was good to be had in what felt like just about the worst year ever.

Let’s see New Year’s as a time for celebration and positive feelings about the future. Thinking about that saying which goes, “out with the old and in with the new” prompted me to look up other similar sayings. I found one that I liked quite a lot so I’ll leave you with the words of Henry Ward Beecher who said, “Every man should be born again on the first day of January. Start with a fresh page.”