I’m safe from the fires although the smell is strongly tinged with despair. Over 500 families lost their homes yesterday – a grim reminder of our fragility. The next few days will be a testament to our resilience, for good or ill. I was hoping to get out today to mark the end of the year but the smoke makes that problematic. I’m not ruling it out, but it’s not looking very likely.
This wasn’t the year I hoped for. It wasn’t the year I feared.
There’s a lesson in that.
I’m trying to look ahead to 2022 with those two lessons at the front of my mind.
The real question about the year: Were you there for it?