We welcome the next phase of the vaccination roll-out in South Africa with caution as we enter our winter season.

The past year brings the Roy Orbison song, “Only the lonely”, to mind. We have gone through a very lonely time, not just in our ability to visit with friends and family, but in the weighing of every decision being made. Whether to go on holiday, shopping and even going to church. These decisions have made us lonely because we make them to protect. That protection however comes at a cost.

The song, however, also motivates in that we need to keep taking chances, even if the outcome sometimes is not as favourable. These chances include venturing out to gain skills like, Zoom or Skype, that was previously not part of our framework. Or finding a new hobby; becoming the painter, sculptor, gardener that you never thought you could be.

Times like these make us brave. We must choose to not let fear infiltrate our being and be brave in the things that we do. Lana Rafaela wrote a poem about being brave:

i think it’s brave that you get up in the morning even

if your soul is weary and your bones ache for a rest

i think it’s brave that you keep on living

even if you don’t know how to anymore

i think it’s brave that you push away the waves rolling in every day

and you decide to fight

i know there are days when you feel like giving up but

i think it’s brave

that you never do

Let’s be brave in this season!