Maybe we’ve been coasting this year. Things slowly settled back to somewhat-normal after the initial outbreak of COVID-19 last March. Many of us masked up, got vaccinated, and then got boostered with hopes that things might fall back into place. But I’m definitely not the first to say that the Omnicron variant put everything back into perspective: The pandemic rages on. Now, it’s time to be extremely careful again, and to look for beauty, joy, and humor anywhere we can find it. Today, elusive avant-pop artist Kate Bush has shared a Christmas message with that exact sentiment.
“With nearly two years of COVID, are any of us the same people we were before?” Bush wrote on her website. “It’s left everyone confused and uncertain of the future. It’s been a terrible time of loss for so many. I want to say a big thank you to all the people on the front line and in the NHS. I have such huge respect for all the nurses and doctors who’ve already been working flat out for nearly two years. These caring people are showing such extraordinary acts of kindness to others. Let’s hope they get the pay rises they rightly deserve.” Truly!
Later, she reflects on a small meet-cute with nature, happening across the smallest bird in Europe, the goldcrest. “I’d like to mention something that happened a few weeks ago on a walk; stopping to look at the view, I noticed something moving in a tree right beside me,” she continued. “I stood still, hoping not to frighten it away. Its colouring is beautiful—a peacock’s eye on each wing and a striking yellow streak on its tiny head. This gorgeous little ball of fluff flew away after ten minutes or so. I’ve only ever seen one once before and very briefly. It made my day. In these strange times, I really hope you can get the chance to stop for a moment and feel nature around you.”
You can check out the message on her site here.
