"For last year's words belong to last year's language. And next year's words await another voice"

TS Eliot: Four Quartets Since the start of the Covid 19 experience, our adoption of new words and phrases has been constant. Lockdown, social distancing, hands, face, space, social bubbles, boosters and disease modelling are just a few examples of how our conversation has been determined by our shared national and personal experience. Even the youngest members of our communities understand the importance of face covering, regular hand washing and protecting people who are vulnerable. There was a time when SAGE was a herb or a very wise person and furloughing indicated you had lived and worked for years in a very hot country and were coming back home for a well-earned rest. "Parties" needs to be forgotten. "Unprecedented" must be consigned to the waste bin and the mention of "toilet rolls" needs to be avoided as it creates panic. Here are a few words I as a District Councillor would like to put my voice to. Sharing - we have seen in our villages and communities the selfless sharing of time and skill by hundreds of volunteers and front-line staff. Neighbours, voluntary groups and young people have joined in the efforts to create community activities, raise money for good causes, support food banks and befriend those living alone. Keep going on with your efforts, I think it is needed more than ever and thank you for your hard work. Learning - The critical times we are living through has tried our patience, our resilience and our health and wellbeing. How can I enable and empower others to achieve forgotten goals and ambition, to make life a little easier and a little healthier. What can I support that brings light to many people at the end of this very long tunnel with new activities and interests. Hope - a word that can make or break a relationship, can change the outlook of someone who is very unwell and can change the direction of a business. Every resident, family, community and parish need to embrace hope as a positive action because for many, life at present is not good. It needs determination to see the present circumstances as temporary and that they will be overcome given time. This is not easy to achieve as you have to work at it. What words would you like to put your voice to in 2022? May I wish all the residents in Harkstead, Holbrook and Stutton a very happy and positive New Year. Mary McLaren

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