Like many of you, I have been reflecting on the year of Covid-19 - not only the losses and challenges, but also the opportunities and gifts. One of the greatest gifts I've received during Rona has come in my WhatsApp inbox every single morning since March 15, 2020 - 365 days without any breaks. My friend and former colleague from the UK, Graham Weston, decided that his love and passion for music could get a group of friends through a few weeks of lockdown by sharing music. What started as a few weeks and a few friends, mushroomed into 1 year and friends across the globe - including the US, UK, Spain, Costa Rica, and Canada. Every day, I would wake up to a group message from Graham, which always included a song of the day with link to Spotify and a photo of the vinyl album (of course, Graham only listens to vinyl). Most days, Graham included a personal story about seeing the artist live, history and stories about the artist, and causes that are important to them. Many days, Graham tied the music to where we were in our journey - desperation, hope, grief, celebration, George Floyd, racial justice, Brexit, US election, holidays, vaccinations, Capitol insurrection, inauguration, and other personal celebrations and milestones that dotted the year.

There were many days that Graham's message of music and friendship helped me get out of bed that day. When he needed help with motivation, he would ask the group for recommendations, or asked us to share music that reminds us of better days and times. The group leaned on each other, inspired each other, celebrated with each other and most importantly, laughed with each other. Throughout the year, we marveled at the depth of Graham's knowledge of music and artists, the vastness of his vinyl collection, his many brushes with famous people, and his daily devotion to our group. As we reached the 1-year milestone, Graham decided to transition to offer a weekend update until life is "back to normal", which for Graham means crowded live music venues without a mask. But for those of us who were lucky enough to be part of this group, Graham's boundless gift of friendship and music will be THE thing we remember about Covid. His impact on us will outlast any pandemic, as he taught us the simple gift of showing up each day and offering something good into the world. Thank you, Graham!