OSCAR M. LOPEZThe year 2020 has truly been most challenging. However, it does teach us many lessons, among them about stewardship and fidelity.

Stewardship is the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one’s care. We do not think only of stewardship of work or businesses entrusted to us by our employers or shareholders. We also think of stewardship of the environment and society.

Whether or not we acknowledge it, our decisions at work and at home affect our environment and our fellow human beings both immediately and over the long term. Do we prudently use our resources, reduce waste and choose to reuse and recycle on a daily basis? Now that most of us are working from home, do we keep track of electricity and water consumption, and favor eco-friendly options for our needs?

By the grace of God, I turned 90 years old this year and I would like to think that I have been a good steward. Perhaps not for all the 90 years, but certainly in the last several decades.

This brings me to my second point, which is fidelity. To live a life of integrity, we choose a few principles to live by and faithfully abide by them. There are times when we fail, but fidelity dictates that we return to those same principles as often as we fail. It is a matter of beginning again.

Having lived this long, you may think I am already an expert at beginning again. I cannot say that I am. But I do try—persistently and consistently. So should you.

I wish you all a blessed Christmas and a prosperous New Year! - OSCAR M. LOPEZ