Hooray We’re Alive!

I am currently on holiday in a place called Mapua in the Tasman region of New Zealand.

Holidays for me involve lots of walking, reading, exploring and trying not to eat too much (pretty much my normal existence but with different scenery).

Like many others at this time of the year I am drawn to reflect on the year that has passed and to set plans for the one ahead.

I saw in the New Year with Katherine and Molly. Annie was at a camp ground with her friends.  Katie was blissfully asleep.

We stood on the deck of our bach (the New Zealand term for a holiday home, pronounced ‘batch’) and heard the campers at the nearby campground count down the New Year. They gave an almighty cheer.

For some unusual reason I was struck by this noise.  There would have been many hundred voices all raised in a huge cheer.

It sounded to me like the cheer of enormous relief.

Of survival.

We’ve (collectively) lived to see in another one.

Now in part I can explain this over-analysis by my recent obsession with post-apocalyptic survival television shows. I’ve enjoyed multiple seasons of “The Walking Dead” and “Survivors” in recent weeks. We also heard news in the run up to New Years that a friend has cancer. I guess all of this played to the thought. Our own experience in Christchurch of massive trauma and upheaval no doubt was included in the mix.

Now we’ve survived into another year. I think we need to make it count.