The end of a year and the beginning of a new one always brings with it a mixture of emotions, ranging from the nostalgic to hope for a better future.
It is that time when one stops – or should stop – to reflect on the previous 12 months and analyse, even if solely for the purpose of reminiscing, what went wrong, what should have been done and, of course, what went as planned and intended.
On a national and international level, so many things have happened. Terror threats continue to take so much space in the media, as does the migration phenomenon and, why not, Trump's continuous presence in news bulletins, almost always for the wrong reasons. Closer to home, we've had our own political situations which have garnered so much attention, the usual animosity between Labourites and Nationalists, and the occasional story that brings a spurious moment of unity in an otherwise divided country.
But, although these do have an effect on how we react and how we see ourselves, it is those personal issues that have a much larger bearing on our personality and our character.
For some, 2018 was good. For others, it was not. Many went through positive times with a new job, a new relationship, or simply with some extra peace in their mind. Many others however were not so lucky, lost a loved one, had problems at the office or, simply could not find internal serenity.
That's the way it goes, the ups and downs of life that mould us in what we are. It is said that people are formed via a collection of memories, and that the way they behave is a result of their experiences. This is not far from the truth. What we are today is greatly influenced by what happened to us yesterday and the day before. We would all be different people if something did not happen to us, or if something else had happened instead.
There are some who question the reason why so many people celebrate the end of a year or the start of a new one. After all, the end of a year means that we are all a year closer to the end of our life. But some see it from another angle – and they are thankful for finishing another year and look ahead to the next one.
This is because there is always hope.
The Italians have a saying that, loosely translated, goes like this: "Hope is the last thing to die". There is always hope that things could get better. There is always hope that what went wrong the last time round could go right the next time. There is always hope that the darkness we see today could transform itself into a bright light.
Loss of hope means giving up. And giving up will take away the will to live.
This is why we should always have encouraging words to people who look like, or even say, that they are throwing in the towel. Because a kind word, a gesture of solidarity will go a long way to instil hope.
from The Malta Independent http://bit.ly/2BYSaj9
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