The annual December shutdown is upon us
all. And speaking entirely for myself, it cannot come fast enough.
This year has been manic. Its been
unsettled, its been hard, its been emotionally draining. People have been
abusive, nasty, vindictive, and downright horrible. Companies have closed,
money has been in scarcity, South Africans have left our beautiful country by
the thousands.
Violence has been the name of the game, and
anarchy, and fear. Droughts, heat waves and deprivation.
AND YET. There is so much to be grateful
for. We live in such a beautiful country. Filled with the most amazing people.
People who have banded together, raised each other up, dragged each other
through the hardships and have stood victoriously on the other side, no matter
how big or small the battle.
The economy remained stable. New businesses
have started and stayed open. Employment has been created. And most
importantly, love has remained.
Love for our families, however tarnished
they may be. Love for ourselves, warts and all. Love for our battered and
bruised South Africa, and love for the people in our lives.
And during this holiday time, is that not
where our focus should be fixed firmly? Spending time to fix the battered,
nurse the disjointed, and repair the rifts. Time to not just be busy and
frantic, but to listen. To love, and to care?
Personally the last few weeks have felt
like I would be better off marooned on an island, far far away. But I know on a
cellular level, the people I share my story with are my life. They make me
tick. They make me feel whole. They add to my purpose and fill me with love. No
it should not take December, or holidays, to make me whole again, but our souls
are tired. They are exhausted from fighting the good fight on a daily basis, as
if we don’t, we are surely done for, and the world has no place for people who
lie down and play dead.
So just for today, fight. Breathe. Look
forward. Because even if you do not have leave coming your way, or a lavish
holiday. Even if you do not have family or friends that you will be sharing
your time with, you have YOU. You have a magical new DECADE coming. Where you
get to write on a brand new page, with bright shiny letters. Let these holidays
bring for you a new start. A new hope. A new love. May 2020 be phenomenal for
us all.
