Auld Lang Syne

              Hello, lovelies.

        Christmas has come and gone, and the festivities are coming to an end. We’re almost through the Christmas week, where I’ve all eaten far too much, and so much cheese that I am now the missing link of half woman half cheese. I still don’t know what day it is, and am terrified of going into a supermarket, as the last of the shoppers are buying everything in preparation for tonight, New Year’s Eve and the last day of 2020. And never has a year been so eagerly awaited to end. But as we count down to midnight, will next year really be everything we hope it will be? Or has 2020 just been a precursor to the year to come?

            Reluctantly, I was standing in the queue of my local supermarket today, and as I waited and waited in the ridiculously long line, I watched the other shoppers as they brought everything that they would need for the celebrations tonight. Do we really need every bottle of wine on the shelves? How many sausage rolls can one person realistically eat? Is there actually any cheese left to buy after Christmas? And the realisation that Twiglets are the King party nibbles at any New Years’ celebration. But do we really need to buy everything and anything for just one night? And I believe the answer is yes. What a year. No wonder that we are desperate to see the end of it. Due to a very contagious virus and an inapt government, we missed out on all our religious celebrations, holidays, birthdays, cultural holidays, schools and work. We missed out on being a community. And I didn’t realise how much I rely on and need my local community. I also miss London. I miss the mix of people, languages and cultures. But what I miss most of all is the ability to go out and explore this amazing, if not traumatised, county.

            But will 2021 really be any better? Will the stroke of midnight wipe the slate clean and we can have a do-over of the year we were meant to have? Or will 2021 just be whatever we want it to be? Tempting fate, it really can’t be any worse than 2020, covid and Brexit permitting.  But it won’t be worse, because we have learnt so much this year. Good and bad. The stress and heartache of 2020 have made us resilient and more determined. We’ve seen the death toll rise and the government lie with ease, but we also saw the very best in people. Our frontline workers are our true heroes.  Communities came together, in a very socially distanced way, and supported those vulnerable and in need. We clapped, we made masks and we shopped locally. We became the heroes. Instead of relying on and listening to those supposedly above us, we did what we had to do. Okay, so we have the worst covid levels, and our hospitals are full, but we proved to ourselves that we have what it takes to survive. And I know that there have been some irresponsible people who have flouted the rules, but for the most part, the death toll is to be laid at the feet of the government and their inability to lead. And that we must not ever forget, and we must hold them accountable. But for tonight, we can forget the past and look to our future.

            But what is in our future? And this is the best part, we can have whatever we want in it. And we don’t need to hold on to those things that we don’t want. And it really is as simple as that. I have made up my mind that I will no longer hold on to anything that doesn’t either make my heart happy or is detrimental for my mental health. And that includes friendships and relationships, possessions and people. I want to make 2021 a year that I can use everything I’ve learnt in 2020 and spin it to be a positive. A tall order, I know, but not impossible. And as the traditional song, Old Lang Syne, says, we should remember the good times and happy relationships, but I believe that we need to go further than that.  We can remember the past for sure, but that’s where it should stay. Holding on to the negatives keeps us from seeing the positives. And we have all got so many positives, even if they’re hard to see at first. I started a back-garden allotment and shared the homegrown produce with my family. I learnt how to make face masks, and now have an exciting array of designs. I started my blog, which I absolutely love. And I have learnt so many new and exciting recipes involving bananas. And all of that was done without even trying. Just imagine what we can all do in 2021 if we tried. Just think of all the things we could achieve. And that’s why all those shoppers were buying the sausage rolls and Prosecco. We are going to celebrate the end of what was and wake up tomorrow in the new year where we can make 2021 whatever we want.        

            So, I’d like to wish you all a very happy new year. And let all make 2021 everything we want it to be.