One more day of the decade left. Monstrous really. I am sure the pace was slower some years ago.We have lived through 2010 - 2019 and now round the corner we meet 2020. Everybody has their version of events. This is mine. In this world we all experience loss, friends, workmates, old folk. In this decade loss has touched us especially - the loss of a favourite uncle, brother, son and father to the disease my mother called the big C. The tragic loss of a sibling to the road, senseless and shocking to the extreme and the aftermath of loss and anger even, at her passing, but loss is often compensated in our lives though we may not feel it immediately at the time. The addition of a daughter in law who is beyond joyful and three young sprouts who are more precious than anything else on this planet and totally adored, have taken their places firmly in our lives.
A decade of adventure and discovery, moving to India and exploring the sub continent and coming away with a fraction of understanding of its essence, the culture and the history of this enormous and varied land. Meeting special friends and appreciating how this has opened a whole new page in my book as I return most years to the Jaipur Literature Festival with dear friends and other bookworms.
Then unexpectedly and most surprisingly ending up on an island continent I would never have dreamed of, Australia which has somehow embraced me and bolstered me with its values and Aussie quirkiness in ways which I never envisaged. I love this sprawling, dry, ravaged by fire continent and all it stands for and it is with considerable emotion that I can call myself one of its citizens even though I have not mastered the clipped way of saying "Gdday" yet.
We have lured two sons closer to us, though they have wisely kept a reasonable distance from their overprotective mother, while we have released the eldest into the arms of the most adorable and loving family he could possibly have away from us.
Australia may have kept us at a safe distance from world events, but that is not to say we have not felt engaged, distraught and incredulous as populations were wiped out in the Middle East, refugees lost their lives trying to escape to safer lands, terrorist activities abounded and Brexit delivered an unexpected blow to those who always viewed the UK as part of Europe. This was just the start and Trump and all he stands for came to be a daily ugly reminder of how those politics serve little more than the leaders who do not lead or inspire. Brexit is still unravelling but the boys' Cypriot passports are in the pipeline. Who would ever have believed that I can confer on them something so valuable as their connection to the European world in which they have spent so much of their lives?
The year ends with daily reminders of the importance of the words spoken by a 16 year old girl and we hope more will be made of her warnings and those of the experts and that true meaningful action will shape the decade to come. We chose to spend these last days of 2019 among the rainforests of Queensland, among the eucalypts and the bush and we have loved every minute. We look up to those age old trees, tall, tested, and tempered by the weather and we know we will be back to see more of them. They have stood the test of time as someone else who is very dear to us. We look forward to the beginning of the new decade to celebrate our first family centenarian, Nancy who turns 100 and has inspired us with her clarity of thought, razor like memory and curiosity about life and all it holds. So in closing this decade which has been bleak at times, there is no better message of hope and longevity to deliver than this one:
Live, Love, Be a Nancy ! Happy new decade everyone.
