Holocaust Memorial Day

 

Today, the 27th January 2021, is Holocaust Memorial Day, the 76th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, a symbolic moment whose date now serves as the annual commemoration of the Holocaust. Each year it becomes more crucial for us ALL to remember what happened, in these death camps, because as time passes the number of survivors becomes fewer... The importance of commemorating such a huge event in the human experience is to learn vital lessons of love and unity and prevent the ignorance and evil that cause such murder and genocide...We ALL need to consider and reflect on the issues.

We certainly seem to be surrounded with sorrow, and would that that were not true. People refer to this current era of pandemic trauma as "strange times" or "the Covid crisis", and there is a lot of frustrated desire resume a conception of normality. Now is that the normality that existed over a year ago, before we learned of this Coronavirus (?). Sadly, horrendous things have happened over the past year. The awful reality of over 100,000 lost lives... it is unbearable enough to grieve the loss of one loved one. Then the circumstances of dying with this virus, the lack of dignity and the isolation, a total horror... No, we cannot go back, we have collectively suffered too much, and must soon begin the process of healing.

On a very personal level these recent weeks living in this new order of redefined social restrictions has been extremely challenging. I enjoy the company of other people, the very notion of "social distancing" is a clumsy oxymoron. So at a time when, in raw bereavement and in real need of beloved company, I am actually in extreme retreat and self isolation. So how does one approach this in a sane and positive way? Well...I did two things at the beginning of the month to "manage" the situation. The first was to limit the need for venturing out for food shopping, which has the spin-off benefit of requiring advance planning of meals and menus, and a subtle control of the old diet. The second thing is more enjoyable, it involves taking the calendar or diary, and marking of all the special events, anniversaries and occasions and actually celebrating or marking them in your own special or private way. So for example a friend or relative is having a birthday, sadly you cannot meet up or party, so send them a letter, email, card or give them a special telephone call. Recently on what would have been the birthday of a very dear friend who sadly passed away three years ago, I went for an appropriate walk and did a little sketch in special honour of that person. In such ways I intend to make re-connections with people, places and events past and present.

This is the time of year, to "make new beginnings", indeed round about this time in January, ancient civilizations believed it to be an important moment in the natural cycle of life - the time when the sap begins to rise in the trees. This is when trees, shrubs and bushes begin to go into bud and a light green aura seems to glow. The day light hours are getting longer and I long to get out into the fresh air and start turning the soil and planting the earth. There is a future on our horizon...

3 January 2021

 

I would like to wish everyone, A Happy New Year. Let us hope that our situation steadily improves as the days get longer and spring replaces winter. This has certainly been an unprecedented festive season for us ALL, as the ongoing challenges of the restrictions to combat the coronavirus pandemic bite into our lives, in every way. We have become increasingly weary of the frightening gloom of the daily news, and we are constantly aware that our whole life psyche must require adapting and changing in order to accommodate yet another viral threat. Indeed over the last few days, there has been much reference to the awfulness of the year just past, but surely a year is only a measurement of time and not in itself the cause of good or bad. In the earlier months of 2020 the weather, for instance, was actually quite pleasant. Think how truly horrible the first Lockdown would have been, were we to have had to queue, for our food shopping, out in the cold, wet and wind. It was the awfulness of the pandemic itself that was so totally unbearable...people dying and the feeling of helplessness. It was, all of that, that we wanted away from. Sadly the change over to 2021 has not been the sudden switching on of a light. No, it is going to take a long time, to resolve things and recover. Of course for this very reason, the usual fire of seasonal optimism and expectation, was largely extinguished this time round. While we must accept and go along with the restrictions, it is absolutely vital, we must do whatever it takes not to let ourselves or people we know and care about become lonely or stranded in isolation. Keeping contact with each other by telephone or on social media, is a life line to many people.

Now being very much a "people person", I certainly did miss all the old traditions that accompany the happy socializing, of our festive season. These traditions relating to the celebration of the new year are very ancient and refer to the natural cycle of life. It was symbolic that, from the dying embers of the old year's fire, emerged the sparks to ignite the bright flames of the new year's fire. It was deemed essential and therefore a good omen to keep the fire, if lite, burning from one year to the next. Hence the origins of the carrying of coal from one house to another, at "Hogmany". I always associate this time of year with huge crackling fires, great food, wonderful company, with lots of music and laughter. In our home the fire was very much at the centre everything. This year there was no enthusiasm to have a living fire burning. Instead I had two very large church candles burning near the fireplace and at the changing of the year, "The Bells", I lite fresh candles from the old ones. But this evoked an overwhelming and unexpected flood of emotion of what had passed and in effect was being left in 2020. This is also the traditional time to remember people, to forgive and atone, and to tidy accounts and make payments. Not to bring anything that are unresolved, forward into the start of the new year is a universal feature of a new year celebration.

So far three dawns have heralded fine crisp days, with amber clouded skies of blue above and a glistening frosty ground. I gingerly tread cautious steps on my walk along the shore. The gentle action of the tide is a natural calming and reassuring essence. With my mind and emotions thus stimulated I am ready to face the day. At the start of a year I have always tried to put into place some sort of "resolution" or thumb nail proposal for the longer hours of day light. I need and want to immerse myself in my garden. Getting close to that cycle of nature, planting things, nurturing them and encouraging them grow can enrich anyone's life, and it does. There is something very wonderful about getting the soil of the Earth, under your fingernails. I must be a crofter after all! Let us hope, that as we carry forward the current challenges we will do so with spirits raised by brighter and stimulating days. Staying safe and staying healthy.

Some thoughts on the New Year, Sunday 3rd January 2021. KB.