I will always remember the calendar turning from one millennium to another.
While millions were revelling in the excitement, I was sitting in my parent’s kitchen, enjoying my mother’s home cooking. We watched the traditional new-year fireworks lighting up Sydney Harbour on TV. It was an unusually cold, rainy New Year’s Eve, and I couldn’t have been happier. I had returned to Australia for this specific reason: to spend this momentous occasion with them. I was thrilled that they had lived long enough to experience this significant moment in time, given all that they had endured.
That night, we reminisced, rejoiced, and reflected on years past. We also looked to the future with positive anticipation. At the same time, the duality of hope and fear prevailed. While I experienced the joy of being home, my mother’s declining health, as well as the challenges of my parents running a business at an advanced age, were constant concerns that were outside of my control.
These memories are still fresh as I contemplate the upside-downside of a new year. [Read more…] about Exploring the upside-downside of a new year
