My Letter to The New Year

Dear New Year ,

How eagerly I have been waiting for you! at last, you were welcomed with the most awaited news of vaccine approvals.

As I look back and gather some sense out of the past 12 months, I see nothing but chaos from devastating bushfires to never-ending effects of the pandemic. Highlights of the year were nothing but lockdowns, the daily count of COVID-19 cases and COVID-19 deaths.

I want to leave all this behind and enter you afresh. Yet, there are some things I do not want to leave behind, the depth of emotions I have felt in these testing times. I never want to let go of them. The feeling of affection I have experienced for my fellow beings is my precious lifetime treasure.

I entered 2020 without any significant resolutions but it was certainly a year full of experiences and today as I step out of it, I feel a huge difference in myself.

This previous year shook me hard but it did not break me.

Remember the saying, What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger? It's true!

Paulo Coelho

Entering 2021 much stronger than before

Yes, 2020 was a tough year but it has made me even tougher. It taught me some important lessons.

I yearned for things I once took for granted. I was forced to get used to the ‘new normal’ which was in no way near normal.

How closely I saw people risk their own lives just to lend a helping hand to the vulnerable. How I stayed away from my loved ones to keep them safe.

My family and friends experienced tough times, but we cared for each other. Lockdowns were alien to us, but we accepted them to keep one another safe. Looking around, I saw everyone play their part, not knowing what to do, some of us started online classes while others helped in delivery. We lost our jobs, but we did not lose ourselves.

Now I enter the new year with hope for better times and strength to keep going.

I plan to deliberately pause and ponder

I was busy in my fast-paced life when suddenly it came to a halt, all trips were cancelled, uncertainty took over everything, work-life became a second priority and life became the first.

Under lockdowns, we got a chance to sit back and relax and hold our families a little tighter.

In 2021 I want to make sure I do not let go of this feeling and I want to make conscious effort to spend more time at home and to call on friends and family without any reason just to let them know, I am around.

I have learned the significance of family and friends and the emotional support we share. I never want to lose these precious feelings, and every now and then I want to deliberately stop and think about my priorities in life.

Taking care of our environment

2020 has shown us how we are destroying our selves by disturbing the balance of nature. Yet, nature proved to be the most effective physical and emotional healer for me. In times of distress, my long morning walks kept me sane.

In years to come, I wish to protect nature with mindful actions. In 2021 I look forward to reducing my use of plastic, hoping to eliminate it altogether one day.

I commit only to buy from retailers that are conscious of their plastic usage and are environmentally friendly. Our simple weekly grocery shopping habits can make a difference.

I have done the research and made a list of most eco-friendly markets near me and these are the ones I will be using this year.

2020 made me appreciate my garden like never before. Most summer evenings were spent playing outdoor games with kids.

I plan to plant some more trees in my garden this year and I have kept a reminder for this on my phone. I have chosen the place and the trees and I am just waiting for the best time to plant them.

I consulted my gardener and we will be planting a couple of Silver birch trees which grows 40 cm per year. I find these trees very beautiful and the wildlife also loves them.

Silver birch which is a graceful, attractive tree with light airy foliage and distinctive silvery-white peeling bark. It has triangular-shaped leaves on its elegant, drooping branches. They turn yellow then golden in autumn, bringing striking colour to your garden. Look out for the fine display of catkins from spring to autumn.

I also want to plant some fruit trees common in the UK, ie Apple and pear trees. We can start planting these in early spring.

These are little things but I believe they can mage a huge difference.

While it may seem small, the ripple effects of small things is extraordinary. Matt Bevin

In this new year, I wish to reduce my car rides and walk or cycle wherever possible.

I want to learn from my mistakes and play my part in supporting nature and helping it heal.

You can't change the world; you can't fix the whole environment. But you can recycle. You can turn the water off when you're brushing your teeth. You can do small things. Patti Smith

Healthier eating habits

The stress of pandemic affected me and my family in many ways. Our food intake was one of them. Our overall dietary patterns were highly disturbed. We as a family became a victim of stress eating, our only festivity was to order comfort food from our favourite takeaway.

We tried to keep up our physical activity by going on regular walks but the junk food we ate continued to show effects on our body and mind.

We as a family have decided to reduce our cooked food home deliveries. We are going to make cooking a family activity and enjoy healthy meals every day, limiting restaurant/takeaway food to once a month.

Joe wicks is our family favourite, he was introduced to us by our kids' school for online PE lessons during the lockdown.

I really like his cookbooks, with a huge variety of easy to make healthy recipes I plan to use them for our daily meals.

“Planning is bringing the future into the present so that you can do something about it now.” ― Alan Lakein, author

So, I have done the planning for now, and I am writing this letter to you my precious 2021, so during the year I can look back and reflect on my intentions and work over the shortcomings if and when I face them.

Thank you for arriving at last

Hoping you can bring back our joys

Sumera