As always, I trust Charles M. Schulz and Peanuts to give the best life advice. And as we enter a year that is hopefully better than the annus horribilis we just went through, I’ll be trying to remind myself of Snoopy’s four testaments above. Something tells me they’ll be more useful than ever.
And: serious congratulations on getting through the year we just did. Forget writing The Next Great American (Or Indeed British) Novel, signing That Deal or getting Fit And Fabulous: I think that simply reaching the end of 2020 with our lives/relationships/marbles even vaguely intact is a triumph. A triumph, I tell you. So, well done us! We made it! And that’s all we needed to do.
My heart goes out to everyone who, like my family, lost loved ones in 2020. It was an incredible year for reminding us of what’s important in life, I think. And for recognising the privileges that so many of us have and yet often take for granted: things like our health, paid work, a safe home, family and friends who care for us. I’m especially grateful to those are out there helping the most vulnerable in our communities – whether as frontline workers, volunteers or simply people looking out for their neighbours. It may have been a devastating, bleak year in so many ways, but as well as highlighting the difficulties and inequalities in our society it also shone a light on the best of our humanity, too.
So here’s to 2021, and to looking after ourselves and each other as we face its challenges. I wish you all a happy, loving and successful year ahead – whatever that looks like for you <3.