I've always seen the New Year as an opportunity for hope, aspiration, and excitement, but 2021 includes a difficult milestone. Jan. 8 will mark 10 years since I was shot in the head, six of my constituents were killed, and 12 others were injured at a Congress on Your Corner event in Tucson.
I could have never imagined the decade ahead when 2011 began. I had just been sworn in for my third term in Congress but a few days later my life—and countless other lives—changed in an instant. The goals I had set for myself—read more, practice French horn—were replaced by the singular imperative of survival.
As I prepare for the new year and for this anniversary, I'm returning to the reason I ran for Congress in the first place: to help people.
I've come back to that often in the past year as we worked to fight gun violence, address the pandemic, and protect our democracy. The past year has been challenging for all of us, but I know the power of grit and determination. We can't stop fighting for change.
That's why this year, I once again resolve to move ahead in my recovery and in my life's purpose to make our country a better place.
—Gabrielle Giffords,
Facebook, Jan. 1, 2021
