THIS is the winter our souls and bodies will be tested. And coming out the other side needs to be more meaningful than the number of boxsets we watched.
 
I realise I’ve never felt less rested after a Christmas, or less energised facing into the challenge of a New Year. And I say that as someone who spent many Christmases with toddlers, a few with fresh grief, quite a number with work deadlines and more recently with the heaviness of ill health.
 

It is not okay to have an entire generation criminalised and used as publicity distractions while the Health Department couldn’t get track and trace sorted, and timely restrictions were voted against by the unionist parties and Alliance.

So, I find myself going to the well of what helps get the mojo back.
Actually, I’m not that good. First of all, I have to get it off my chest and say what doesn’t help. Incompetent and disregarding policy makers do not help. And in particular the treatment of our youngest members of society does not help.
 
Our young people have been the victims of disgusting treatment for the entirety of the pandemic. From Day 1 their rights and needs have been treated with sincere contempt. It is not okay that by January young people have been left hanging with exams pressures, ad-hoc remote learning and live in decision limbo. “You don’t have an exam this week, but we will come back to you,” is not acceptable.
 
It is not okay to have had months and months to plan for special needs education in the event of the need for tighter restrictions and for those families to be a second thought yet again.
 
It is not okay that there are young students without computers, printers or broadband.
It is not okay to have third-level students saddled with thousands of pounds of debt for university education and housing that they can neither access nor benefit from.
It is not okay to have an entire generation criminalised and used as publicity distractions while the Health Department couldn’t get track and trace sorted, and timely restrictions were voted against by the unionist parties and Alliance.
 

Now we are back to the worst of lockdown, exhausted  and without much trust in public messaging, and the Health Department has rowed in behind the ridiculous spin that one dose of Pfizer will do us all grand. Without any credible medical data to back that up.
There is serious competition for the worst minister in the devolved government, but this week Peter Weir and Robin Swann stand in ignominy. 
 
So now I have that off my chest here is what I will be doing. First – putting a boundary on my annoyances. Policy makers need to do their end professionally and competently, but it is time to be positive about the things I can control.
 
I am very lucky to have good broadband, a laptop and a table to put said laptop on, so I will be able to work. But this time I will be putting the focus on things I neglected last lockdown.


I will dedicate time during the few hours of sunlight to being in my garden or walking. Clear positive thinking needs fresh air.
 
I will be doing positive affirmations and a spot of meditation courtesy of Spotify. Positive thoughts build energy.
 
Those things work for me – I am quite sure others will have better suggestions. In the coming weeks let’s be kind to each other and forgiving of ourselves.


Tá an t-earracht ag teacht.