And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.

-Abraham Lincoln

Welcome to a special 16th birthday issue of The Cud!

If ever a year feels as if it has flown by, surely 2020 is that year, right? What to make of this most challenging, surreal and tragic twelve months? I know I'm not alone in praying that we can just get the hell out of 2020 sooner than later albeit, I hope, having grasped the many painful lessons and mistakes of the period to avoid repeating them again in the future (on that, alas, I'm dubious).

But here we are at The Cud, keeping on with our original mission to "Entertain a new perspective: Chew The Cud". My thanks, as ever, to our many talented contributors over the years who have helped us fulfill that mission. Your incredible words and work have enriched the pages of this little magazine time and again, and I'm proud that The Cud has helped give a voice to so many sometimes-writers and always-writers, and blessed me with countless more friendships born from your generous submissons.

And, of course my thanks to you- our dear readers! Without your ongoing support and enthusiasm, we woudn't be here. It's becoming a little harder each year to get my head around just how many contributors, site visitors, articles and letters have been a part of our time online to date. Whether we've reached one visitor in a given year or over one million, it's gratifying to know that someone out there has enjoyed returning to this random, retro little site (ahem, 'retro' for the lack of an aesthetic makeover), for a monthly assortment of op-eds, fiction, poetry, cartoons and more from our global family of contributors. May it continue!

As we do every twelve months, we asked you to vote for your favorite articles of the past year. We feel your choices have compiled an issue that reflects exactly the kind of diversity of thought, writing and subject matter that we envisioned when first launching the magazine- do enjoy!

Thanks, ye Cudlings!

Evan Kanarakis
Editor, The Cud