Every day, month and year is a roll of the dice, a flip of a card.
This is as true for neighbourhoods, cities and countries as it is for individuals.
You can increase the odds you’ll meet good fortune by acting decently, planning for the long term and addressing those core issues that are most likely to crop up.
But sometimes you just get lucky or unlucky.
The last two years, Abbotsford has gotten unlucky. First, with the stabbing at Abbotsford Senior, and then in the shooting of Const. John Davidson, this city has been shaken by rare and isolated acts of madness that could have occurred anywhere, at anytime.
The fact is, individually and as a community, Abbotsford has been largely doing the right things. The community spirit here is as strong as ever, as the responses to the two tragedies have shown.
Individuals and organizations throughout the city have stepped up both in the face of one-off emergencies, and in response to larger challenges facing the city.
One can quarrel with individual decisions, or even the broader direction, taken by city hall, but the planning processes underway demonstrate a focus on long-term planning, rather than the ad hoc decision-making that often leads government into trouble and wasteful actions.
The city, community organizations and business groups have also taken significant strides in both action and attitudes towards the homelessness and housing crisis afflicting Abbotsford.
On other fronts, Abbotsford remains generous and caring, and a community spirit continues to flow through this city.
It’s that spirit that we hope will make 2018 a good one. In life, things go wrong. How we move forward is the key, both in recovering from tragedy and improving the lives of ourselves, our families, our neighbours, and the millions of people in need in B.C., Canada and the world.