The end of the year is finally upon us, and I truly hope you have enjoyed it. 

I hope you gave it your all, and that you are now enjoying the fruits of your labour or getting a well-earned rest. 

It has been a long and unpredictable year, but you made it till this point – congratulations.

The festive season is here, and a new year is around the corner; a little celebration is in order. 

We probably just experienced one of the most uncertain and turbulent years since our independence, but we lived and made it through. 

That is an achievement on its own that shouldn’t go unnoticed.

I would like to send condolences to all the people who lost family members, partners, colleagues and friends to the coronavirus pandemic. 

Words can never be enough to heal a heart, but we are with you.

Maybe, now is the time to show a little appreciation to those whom you didn’t get a chance to show love throughout the year; to put a smile on the face of someone who hasn’t had the best year – basically to send someone good wishes into the last days of the year. 

For me, I tip my hat to the work done by the health professionals – you have been the super heroes our country needed throughout the year.

The year will soon be another year under your belt of experienced living. What happened or didn’t happen is soon going to be irrelevant. 

All that you can take from it is experience and lessons that will make next year better and possibly your best year yet.

In the midst of all the celebrations and parties, this is also a great time to rest and recharge for the coming year. 

They say it gets easier as time goes, but we all know is is not always the case. 

We have seen what Covid did to the last two years. If anything, normal seems like it won’t be what we knew it as.

 Every year has its own challenges, and they require a lot of energy to overcome; rest is always needed.

The year is behind us, and the future is upon us. Thank you to all those who have been reading the New Era newspaper and my column. 

I really appreciate it. On that note, I would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year.

- Olavi Popyeinawa

- Twitter: @olavipopyeinawa

- Email. olavipopyeinawa@gmail.com