It is time!

By Abby Crawford

It is time to celebrate! It is time to deck the halls with boughs of holly, it is time to chill the champagne and peel the prawns, it is time to rejoice!

The year that we never thought we would have, is nearly finished and what an absolute gift it is that we can spend Christmas and New Year with the people we love, with (at the time of writing) the increasing relaxation of restrictions. The fight has been worth it, the sacrifice and discipline we have seen across our country, has made us one of the most fortunate through this “unprecedented” year. And it’s almost over.

The year is almost over and many of us have a wonderful belief that come January 1, 2021, everything will just return to normal. A new year, a new start. I love this overt optimism and I wholeheartedly believe that being positive is a far better approach than being consumed by scepticism.

I have been thinking about the new year, and with a slight giggle, thinking how wonderful it would be if it was all “back to normal”. And I’ve been thinking that we really don’t appreciate what we have – our freedom, our (national) health, our security – until it’s been threatened. 2020 has been the year that not only threatened but compromised our freedom and our sense of security.

As the restrictions ease and we excitedly head to events and dinners, drinks and gatherings, it’s easy to feel that all the “bad” is behind us. And it is wonderful to embrace the opportunities to reconnect, to reengage with all aspects of our life; with family, friends, business, health and travel. And yet, as I return to host or participate in more and more events for clients and charities, I am hearing something being reinforced again and again … “I don’t want things to ‘go back to normal”.

I have heard this from guest chefs at a recent event, who were busy showing me photos of their young children with whom they unexpectedly had more time. I have heard this from young mothers, who have unexpectedly worked from home and found juggling the commitments of work and home to be far easier. I have heard this from students who have enjoyed a break from the relentless activities they have been overwhelmed by. I have heard this from families who now have chickens and pets, and their new rituals of tending to their additions has been liberating.

So, as we excitedly move toward 2021, and as we embrace all that we hope it will deliver – I also pray that we carry with us the learnings of 2020. In the words of Albert Einstein, “adversity introduces a man to himself”. And it would appear, that perhaps adversity has also reintroduced us to some of the priorities we used to hold dear, and possibly had lost through the hectic pace of our lives that we were living “back when it was normal”.

My Christmas wish for us all, is to cherish each other. To find peace, to find calm. To uphold our values, and prioritise how we spend our time. It is time for us to celebrate, it is time for us to look forward to 2021. But it is also time for us to find a “new normal”.

With much love, and best wishes.