London, UK

Dear 2021, ‘The wish list'

Dear 2021, 

How are you doing? We are delighted to be meeting you soon. Your predecessor has been somewhat diabolical for even the most relentless of optimists. The fact that we don’t even need to mention the world’s intruder’s name speaks volumes of their impact. For every moment of hope has been a moment of when will it stop? Life as we knew it slowly wandered away on the 1st April. Finding our smiles has required us to shift our focus inward. Stripped of our right to be busy has made it all the more painful to see loved ones slip away, and businesses crumble, plugged in with the government enforced seatbelt on our freedom. We have never been more aligned as a world in our longing for what we want most to wake up to in 2020, the words “covid you have been evicted.  

 What else makes it onto our wish list for the year ahead, well I rounded up the troops and collected what I could. You will be pleased to hear we are a modest bunch, having been ripened with the experience of life’s unpredictability. Every cloud. For all the year’s damage, we walk away with a fresh appreciation for our hair salons, gyms, coffee bars, and most importantly each other. As we hang on down here, believing in miracles, let’s take a deep breath and leave all that no longer serves us, in yesteryear. 

THE 2021 WISH LIST

  1. “Support one another and kindness” Paul, Father, 60
  2. “For my family to prosper” Sadie, Mother, 29 
  3. “Health and happiness” Jade, Beautician, 28
  4. “Travel” Jack, Property agent, 35
  5. “See my Mum” Claire, pub owner, 40
  6. “Energy, vitality and creativity” Jen, artist, 30
  7. “Not to be lonely” Verity, Grandmother, 83
  8. “Provide books for a world when they need them most” Author, 29
  9. “Steak and chips at my local pub” Chris, builder, 27
  10. “Freedom” Anne, optimist, 32
  11.  “Local business to thrive again” Jake, coffee shop owner, 40
  12. 12) “To go back to work” Jane, PR, 29
  13. 13) “A full year at school, never thought I would say that” Cara, student, 12
  14. 14) “To experience university life properly” Kelly, student, 19
  15. 15) “A nicer world, to smile more and worry less” Tara, Designer, 30

So, there we have it. A little snapshot of what would raise our cheeks as we step into the new year, together. Sorry to those who requested Ferrari’s and range rovers, I had to keep the list democratic. It seemed the above reflects the essence of the majority. For what most of us have come to realize is all we really want next year, is to simply have back what has been taken away. Life works in mysterious ways, and I guess the good that has come of the toughest year of most of our lives, is the realization that we already had all we ever wanted. That optimist is still kicking around in us somewhere. 

Yours truly, 

The world x