Dear 2020,
How are you?
Naturally I've had a number of conversations about your rough patches. The underlying theme, in all of them, is how this wasn't the year of wanting to have more but the year of being grateful for all that we have. It's been a challenge because consumerism has been engraved in our DNA.
I didn't really grow up in a community where mainstream Christmas traditions were a thing. Our Christmas is in summer so there's no snow. Some people get the trees and decorate them but we're not big on it. Carols, stalkings and mistletoe traditions were also highly limited in my lived reality. Let's not talk about Santa. One day I'll tell you how my mother tackled such. All that doesn't mean that we don't follow consumerist traditions of our own.
Our parents might have not entertained the idea of Santa but Christmas clothes used to be a thing. I remember nibbling ginger cookies so much this one year that I ended up having a tummy ache. You know how they have the trick or treat tradition for Halloween? Our version here is called "happy". It's died down though. Those memories of going around, asking for happy and having to dance to Brenda Fassie songs, however, remain golden.
Today I'd like to just take inventory of all the golden connections I have that 2020 made me extra grateful for.
I'm grateful for spaces which allow me to be myself. Spaces that are sensitive to my insecurities but don't allow me to sleep on myself. Spaces that remind me of my black girl magic on days when the realities and odds of black lives matter are stacked in my way. Spaces that laugh at my quirky jokes and also leave me in stitches. Spaces where I'm reminded how precious life is. Spaces filled with cheerleaders who believe I can.
2020, thank you for making me aware of golden things that really matter...
No comments:
Post a Comment