Let us find that hope

I hope you’re well and that you ‘ve managed this strange and extraordinary year as best you can. It’s been challenging for all of us in so many ways. And, perhaps, with luck, facing those challenges has moved us closer to those we hold dear, and allowed us time to look more carefully at our own personal world and the ‘world outside’. I feel as if we were wanderers and finally came to a place of peace and quiet.

I realize that, in speaking to our community, I must first offer my sincere sympathies to those among us whose lives have been touched by illness, death and Covid 19. I think we all feel a pang when we hear of the ‘empty chair at the table’. (Some of you know that all too well.) We also see light at the end of the tunnel in the form of emerging treatments and vaccines. My wish for you today is that we can follow that light to a better place – and to a more thoughtful and better future.

I feel strongly that we all need to be informed and to speak up about where our world is going, particularly now. You are probably aware of my deep concerns about the proliferation of ever-expanding technologies in our lives – and the threats that the mind-bending invasion of the digital world can pose to you and me, to our children, and to our inner peace. Now, I see more and more attention to this serious issue.

We also have a planet to protect. Centuries of colonization, industrialization and agricultural expansion have put our once-rich natural world in peril. The growing chorus of concern is being heard. Change cannot happen too soon. To me, these things must be priorities for our leaders. And we, ourselves, have to speak up for we can all be leaders in our homes and communities.

And in our world, so many are now saying that this time of challenge has offered a positive opportunity for all of us to ‘think again’ about where we are headed, where our society is going. We know positive change is in the air.

It’s fitting that at this time of year that we remember that the traditions of this season – going back centuries – grew from our real human need to bring light into the darkness of December and to face the darkest time of the year with faith and hope. The lights of this season signal more than celebration, they signal a way forward for us all. This year, we need more than ever to feel the hope that comes with what this season brings. Is it possible, in these times, to reach for hope…even for Joy?? I believe it is, and it often comes with being in service to others. Let us find that hope and feel joy, in the days of this season.

Again, my wish for all of us – that we make this challenging time an opportunity for positive change and growth. Let’s embrace the glorious light of Christmas, the brightness that shines from all the faiths and traditions of this time. Let’s find the brighter path that can lead us to a better world. Let’s care for ourselves and for each other. May I wish each one of you, the very best as we step forward into a new year.

Hugo Fourie – CEO – and the Hurosco Team