New year, new focus
Happy New Year everyone! Each year begins with a new page, the chance to write another chapter and to live a new story.
We can all agree that 2020 was not what we expected nor what we had planned for, but here we are and we can take some lessons from the past year into our next phase of life. We saw the value of connection, the importance of loved ones and the joy that can come from slowing down.
It was a challenge, but together we have all persevered. Here at the Southern Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust, we are so incredibly grateful to our incredible employees for their willingness to adapt with consistent dedication to our community and truly working together as a team.
We are also so grateful to our incredible community, all of you. We thank you for your support, patience and continued patron ship throughout the past year. We are here for you and we do what we do for you. So thank you.
As we reflect upon the past year, let’s take some lessons and actions into 2021 that can better our own lives and us all as a community.
What 2020 taught us
We learned that the world is unpredictable.
We saw that change can happen overnight.
We realised that there are ways to adapt to new circumstances.
We were reminded of how far technology has come, especially in regard to keeping us all connected.
We got to spend time in and around home and see our surroundings in a new way.
We were given the chance to slow down.
We had a new sense of understanding of how other people’s roles play out, especially those of teachers.
We remembered how much we love to spend quality time with our family and friends.
We learnt how to grieve loss in a new way.
We found new ways to connect.
We kept moving.
Slowing down
From the time that was gifted to us in 2020, we can continue to practice slowing down and appreciating the smaller things in life. A meal at home with loved ones, time in the garden, reading a book, a walk around the neighbourhood and extra sleep without the need to commute.
Although the slowdown was imposed upon many of us, in some ways it turned out to be a blessing. You can continue to find ways to slow down and appreciate the small things in the everyday.
Making time
We won’t always get the blessing of forced downtime, but we can always make time for the people we love seeing, the activities we love doing and the places we love visiting. In 2020, we were reminded of those things when we could no longer do them.
Instead of saving it for some day, one day, when you’re less busy, why not go and do that thing you love today. Make that phone call to a friend. Book that holiday. Read that book on the shelf.
Making time for ourselves and the things we love doing is so important for our mental health and wellbeing.
Family, friends and community
Spending time with loved ones has become such a treat after a year where we were restricted from seeing them. We have remembered how much we enjoy quality time in the company of those special people in our life.
Although not all family and friends live nearby, it made us want to share those connections more than ever. We had the gift of technology and were able to see each other via video calls, make phone calls and also message at any time of the day or night. So despite the distance, we have managed to stay connected and that simple act of reaching out and letting people know we’re thinking of them can be such an important part of our relationships.
In 2021, we can continue to reach out and make our loved ones a priority. Cherishing the moments we have, whether they be in person or from a distance. Connection is important and it’s something we value greatly with our community.
So let’s all take a leaf out of the 2020 book. We can continue to slow down, make time and enhance our connections with family, friends and our community.
Wishing you all a safe, happy and healthy holiday period.