Written by: Phindile Le Bris Sithole-Spong
As I write this my daughter is asleep in my arms, my husband is having a nap and I’m contemplating one myself after our New Years lunch turned party and therapy session (thanks tequila and 2020). Our little celebration captured what we have known all along. 2020 was a tough year and NOT for the faint hearted. I won’t go into the nitty gritty of the year but I will say it was a tough one.
Now at the beginning of the new year I am cautiously optimistic about what lies ahead. On the one hand I feel like things can’t get any worse. Whilst on the other, I know that what lies ahead is not just dependent on what’s happening in the world, but also how I react to it. How I fortify my mental, spiritual, physical and emotional health. Because if 2020 taught me anything it’s that you can’t outrun a bad situation. And that how you treat a situation is as important as the situation itself.
Personally I’ve chosen to forgo new years resolutions and the like and instead go the course. This means focusing my time and energy on that which feeds me mentally, physically, spiritually and emotionally. What that is however often changes and I’m not ready to put on paper just one idea of what my will nourish me and give me what I need.
What I do know is that like water, I am keeping an open mind and going with the flow. Taking life where ever it leads and trying to savour the moment as much as possible. On that note I have decided to actually start capturing the moments that fill my heart as much as possible. Partly because over the past few months I’ve found myself looking at old photos of different places in life and reliving those moments. Blissfully unaware of how cherished and restorative they would become. Whilst things may not get back to “normal” anytime soon. There is joy to be found in our current normal. And that too requires celebration and a picture or two.
So I guess at the end of the a day that is a resolution onto itself. To be more present. To move through the days weeks and months ahead with intention with my eyes (and my camera eye lens) wide open. So here’s to 2021. May it fill your camera roll with pictures of things that make you happy and remind you how far you’ve come. Cheers to the new year and cheers to us all. May we remain kind to ourselves and those around us. And remember that we are all in this together.
Love, light and happiness
Phindile Le Bris Sithole-Spong
