When closing out a calendar year, we like to look back and reflect on important moments that we have experienced, enjoyed, and learned from in the prior calendar year—and we’ve certainly had such moments in 2021! We are hopeful to be closing in on the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, but a lesson learned is that we need to be thinking about—and better prepared for—the next one. Most scholars suspect that this will not happen for another 100 years. We saw in-person meetings resume to some degree; but as with everything else, we anticipate that in-person meetings as we knew them before will not ever look quite the same. Contact lens practices thrived, as you will read in our annual report printing in the upcoming January 2022 issue of Contact Lens Spectrum. And, we look forward to embracing the many new technologies introduced this past year to help us care even better for our contact lens patients.

As we think about year-end activities, including the holiday and New Year’s celebrations and events, we also like to look ahead—what would you put on your 2022 (and beyond) wish list for your contact lens practice? When I became editor, we would often look into our Contact Lens Spectrum crystal ball to try to predict the future of contact lenses. Well, that future is upon us now in many ways. While we do not have a truly “smart” contact lens available, research and development teams around the globe are likely much closer to making that a reality than I would have thought 15 years ago.

In addition to looking forward, we also like to give thanks at each year’s end. Our most sincere gratitude is extended to our readership, editorial team, meeting teams, and, in particular, to our sponsors, without whom none of this would be possible—so we express our heartiest thanks to them.

As we say goodbye to 2021, we extend our warmest Season’s Greeting to you and yours and wish the best to you, your patients, your practices, and your families in the next year. From all of us at Contact Lens Spectrum, cheers to 2022!

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The goal of Contact Lens Spectrum is to provide you with timely and thought-provoking articles that will help you become a more successful contact lens practitioner. Please let us know how we’re doing! E-mail CLSpectrum@pentavisionmedia.com with your comments or article submissions.