My dear reader,

I am so happy that you have made your way to the pages of Glass Mountain. I cannot know where you have come from, what you are seeking, or what you have been through, but I know with absolute certainty that you are welcome and wanted here. It is my greatest wish that you find within these words whatever you are looking for, whatever you may need—whether it is a source of  inspiration or connection, or perhaps hope.

Hope is something I have been reflecting on deeply as of late. As I am about to enter the world and make my debut as a college graduate, I wonder what sort of world I am entering into. It is not exactly the shiny bright future I might have imagined. I am sure this is the case for almost everyone reading this right now. So much has changed in the past year. 

Looking back now, I focus not just on the challenges 2020 has brought, but the blessings I might have never found without it. This year has brought into question everything I thought I knew about the world, everything I thought I knew about myself. The growth I have experienced in the past year could have only come out of difficult situations. It has brought to mind the amazing human capacity, not just for survival, but for adaptation, growth, and creation; the ability to thrive under the harshest conditions, to find beauty among chaos.

I have seen this capacity for growth, creation, and adaptation within Glass Mountain itself. Our editors have endeavored to get through the semester and publish another volume, all while taking part of a vision to reinvent our magazine and website. Amidst the upheaval that a global pandemic has caused, we are still striving to put our best foot forward—even if that foot is in slippers, hidden from the Zoom meeting. 

Now I am faced with uncertainty, just like you, dear reader. I have no idea what to expect—but I have hope. Hope that there will be beautiful moments. Hope that there will be lights in the darkness, that we will find a way to flourish. I hope that you find in this issue the courage to trust that you will flourish too.  We will continue to search for the good.