DON'T wish 2020 away.
Some people will be running from it, glad to see the back of it, cursing it as it leaves.
They will be waiting for the heralding of a new dawn next year with its promise of a fresh start, higher hopes and maybe even the ability to shake hands without being frowned upon.
The outgoing year was an historic one. Stories will be told, lots of them embellished beyond reality, of what it was like to "survive" 2020.
Time should not be wished away though.
Such a precious resource is given to be embraced, not whittled down in the hope of something better around the corner.
Those getting down the road a bit will realise only too well that the years are increasingly short and swift.
As one particular book puts it: "For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes."
This year, 2020, as much of a rogue as it was, was an opportunity to do good, to be better, to be thankful. Did you tick all or any of those boxes?
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There is no question it wasn't the best of years; bushfires, a global pandemic, political unrest, financial hardships and the continual outpouring of low-brow reality television.
Family businesses were hit hard; some closed up shop.
It saw the spawning of soppy, PR-laced videos in the middle of the year with celebrities (the term used very loosely) encouraging us all to stay strong, followed by the sickeningly redundant: "We'll get through this together."
The fact is, many did not make it through the year. Lives were lost. Livelihoods were ruined.
This included many within and connected to the horticulture industry.
Some toughed it out, found a way through, but not all.
Surprisingly, there have been positives, although a vast majority of the population won't take the time to appreciate them.
Many have been pushed out of their comfort zones, which usually leads to growth, particularly in terms of technology use, finding new ways of doing things and adapting to situations.
There is no promise 2021 will be a golden year.
The one sure thing is that it will be another year, made up of months, of days, of hours, of minutes, with each an opportunity to ask: How can I make the most of the current moment?
Perhaps a more revolutionary thought is needed such as: How can I help or serve another human in the current moment?
It would be foolish not to face the future without a positive outlook but that has to be driven from within by a determination to make a positive change, not a mentality of thinking the world owes each individual something.
So, to 2020, thank-you for the time, for the opportunities and for the privilege to live through you.
To 2021, welcome; how may we be of service?
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