In 1963, heading into 1964, Judy Garland delivered a short but poignant New Year’s message from Studio 43 at CBS Television City in Los Angeles (where The Judy Garland Show was filmed).  Now, more than 60 years later, as we begin 2026, her message rings truer than ever.

“We have a whole new year ahead of us, and wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could all be a little more gentle with each other, and be a little more loving, and have a little more empathy?  And maybe next year at this time we’d like each other a little bit more.” —Judy Garland, 1963

Judy really nails the whole kindler-gentler thing, beautifully, and while saying so might paint me as a romantic goofball brimming with naïveté, I think we could all stand to make gentility, love, and empathy our watchwords for 2026. 

Or, to phrase it in a way that the kids might more readily comprehend: Don’t be a dick.*

Happy 2026, y’all!

Get into it!
#2026

[Editor's Note: I actually consulted with my 16-year-old niece and 18-year-old nephew to confirm this, so "the kids" have spoken (and agree with the sentiment).]