End of year post: Soul-soothing

2016 has been a year of much tragedy, ugliness and extremes:

On the negative side, there’s been a lot of worries about my loved ones, illness and depression around me, bad situations that I can’t fix, death of idols and loved ones, political frustration over extremism, xenophobia, Brexit, Trump (and what all this comes with for us), and grave concerns about the course humanity and societies are taking.

On the plus side, however, I grew some fantastic new roots in my adapted home in Wales, joined the LibDems as a party I can fully relate to, made great progress in the book world, started playing football and got permanent residency in the UK.

This week, as we’re looking back at the year behind us, the worries are taking over my mind again. What can I do? How can I change the world to become a nicer place, get people to regain their trust in others, open their hearts and reach out, be generous and kind and accepting?

The answer is: I don’t know, and my confidence that 2017 is going to better than 2016 is low at best.

So, looking back at 2016 in anger and to 2017 with a heavy heart, I do the only thing I can do: Feel the fear and carry on regardless. I will continue to hope, dream, campaign, argue and fight for a better future and do the best I can. Not give up.

In worrying times the best soothing for the soul is always laughter and a song.

So let me end this year’s blog activity with a soul soothing Soul Cha Cha – a song and dance that always makes me smile. Here’s to the future! See you next year with more of the same and an unbroken spirit! One, two, Cha cha cha, three, four cha cha cha…!