Thank you, Artemis II. We needed that.
We needed you to successfully complete your mission around the moon. And we especially needed you to return to Earth safely, full of wonder, humility and grace.
Many of us have spent the past 15 months focused on chaos and bouts of incredulity, if not insanity. We’ve watched institutions being dismantled, people being mistreated, allies being kicked to the curb, our natural wonders being threatened, our economy under stress and our national identity turn from welcoming to brutish.
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The worst has been living each day with a sense of doom. “Now what?” has become our daily wake-up call.
Then along came the spacecraft that could.
Unavoidably, some of us watched your vessel launch with a pit in our stomach. Few things go well for us Americans, anymore, it seems.
But you did it. Not only did Artemis II go where no one has gone before, it carried with it an incredibly talented crew, an assortment of legacy memorabilia, and the hopes and dreams of us, the American people.
And then, unexpectedly, upon your return, you did the unthinkable in today’s world of bloated egomaniacs: You credited us.
After splashdown, Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen said, “… We are a mirror reflecting you. And if you like what you see, just look a little deeper. This is you.”
How did you know we needed this victory as much as NASA did?
Thank you for seeing us, encouraging us and reminding us that human achievement and human inclusion are worth fighting for. And for reminding us that our torch still burns.
Following the 9/11 terrorist attacks on our nation, the late Fred Rogers, of “Mr. Rogers Neighborhood” fame, reminded us that in the darkest of times, we should look for hope.
Fortunately, thanks to the “knock-out effect,” headlines about events that benefit humanity stand out like a heavenly planet in a universe of darkness. There are still uplifting achievements being made.
In addition to Artemis, we had the Winter Olympics, during which we witnessed many examples of sportsmanship, not the least of which occurred in the skating rink.
Who wasn’t crushed when the “Quad God” failed to deliver on the hype? But our disappointment was quickly replaced by awe as the disheartened Ilia Malinin graciously bladed over to congratulate Mikhail Shaidorov, who skated away with the gold.
It reminded us that integrity is not only alive and well, but that it matters so much in these troubled times that it makes the news.
For Chicagoans, the naming of a new pope brought not only pride among Catholics, but huzzahs across White Sox fandom.
No one embraced the Vatican’s newly named American pope like South Siders, many of whom, upon learning the news, pilgrimaged to Robert Prevost’s childhood home in Dolton to pay homage.
Of course, we appreciate that Prevost has risen echelons above his humble beginnings, but many of us are more impressed by his papal penchant to protect, even elevate, those of us who still live in the trenches.
Now that Pope Leo XIV is speaking out against the war in Iran, and war in general, it seems America not only “got a guy” when Prevost was selected, they got a guy who’s on the side of vulnerable people everywhere.
Sometimes, good guys do wear white.
The other bright spot on the otherwise dismal landscape of our news world happened during the coldest, darkest days of January.
The Chicago Bears made it to the playoffs.
From restaurants giving away hot dogs to the human “cheese grater” becoming a national celebrity, we noshed our way through the weekends with an Italian beef in our hands and a spring in our galoshes.
It’s good to have fun. It’s better to have fun with a side of hope.
And it’s best to come away feeling like we won something even if we really didn’t.
Each of these recent success stories came just when we needed them. And each served as a reminder that even in times of despair, our nation is still turning out good people, humble people, talented people, people determined to move the world forward through hard work, compassion and teamwork.
We are not defined by our government.
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We are teachers and parents and nurses and neighbors. We are dreamers and strivers and concerned citizens. We are humans who aspire to realize our own dreams while contributing to a more equitable world that empowers the dreams of others.
So, hail the success stories. Here’s to the people who strive and persevere and realize their dreams, without squashing the dignity of others.
At the very least, these flares of joy allow us to turn our attention away from the daily madness and focus on events more deserving of our attention.
“It’s a special thing to be human, and it’s a special thing to be on planet Earth,” said Reid Wiseman, commander of Artemis II.
And astronaut Christina Koch reminded us that humans are in this “special thing” together:
“The thing that changed for me, looking back at Earth, was that I found myself noticing not only the beauty of Earth, but how … it truly emphasized how alike we are.”
Donna Vickroy is an award-winning reporter, editor and columnist who worked for the Daily Southtown for 38 years. She can be reached at [email protected].