We Say – Closing down another pandemic year

Here we are again, ready to shut up shop for the summer break and take a well-earned holiday from the daily grind. While we realise we are blessed to live in Aotearoa, it hasn’t exactly been a great year for everyone.

The challenge of living through a pandemic is still very present, affecting all aspects of our lives. As Dr Tim Malloy points out on page 4, Covid is still spreading and the longer it lasts, the less tolerant people are becoming towards preventative measures such as mask-wearing. Going to work each day and dealing with the level of abuse that some of our health workers are facing must be horrendous.

As the year closes, we remember the high school students who are graduating after three years of disrupted learning, the businesses that are still struggling to maintain services with critical staff and supply shortages, and the families who are being pushed to the brink by cost of living rises. It is also worrying how many elderly people remain isolated due to their hesitancy about large gatherings.

And, to make matters worse, even the weather has abandoned us with no sign of summer in sight so far.

Understandably, many people are crossing the end-of-year finishing line feeling exhausted and more than a little apprehensive about what next year will bring. Rising interest rates and petrol prices seem inevitable, as well as a recession of some kind or another.

With all this said, perhaps the best philosophy is to take one day at a time, try and keep some perspective, and remember to be kind to yourself and others.

The Mahurangi Matters team says a sincere thank you to all our supporters – advertisers, readers and contributors – as well as the those behind the scenes like the printers and distributors. We couldn’t do what we do without you.

Merry Christmas, and here’s cheers to better times ahead.