Happy new year
Welcome to the new year! What a time we have all had the last 11 months since it was first announced that our beautiful country would be entering into a nation-wide lockdown. Things have certainly changed for us all, and probably will never be the same as they once were again.
Certainly, all of us in the wine industry have been hugely affected, with so many tasting rooms having to close their doors. It feels as though we are all trying to hang in for harvest, but the new harvest brings in its own set of problems. Where are we going to put the new vintage when we still have so much stock from the previous year? Will our wine sales open, only to close again in a few months? So many questions and not very many answers.
I am sure there are so many of us who have all been waiting in angst and anticipation for the end of 2020 and the start of the new year. We have all been through so much, and the thought of leaving behind the last year has certainly been a motivating factor for us all to hang on just a little longer. Well, we are finally here. We can all take a breath.
It’s officially 2021
But now that we have gotten here, we find ourselves asking the question, what now? We are in the midst of the second wave of this pandemic and the reality dawns on us, that this year actually may not be better than the last. Our doors have again been closed, and our wine sales all put on hold. What a thought to try process!
But the thing about thoughts is that they are all processed differently. They are all a matter of perception and we all process these thoughts in a very different way. Yes, this the part where we tell you that even though things may not actually seem better than they were last year, the way we handle ourselves and our thoughts certainly can be.
A little perspective goes a long way
You see, we are in fact much more prepared this year for our lives to be different. We have started the new year with the knowledge and some understanding, that things are not going to be as they were before, and that in itself is an opportunity. An opportunity to see things a little differently, and to therefore try to find a better way of processing all the obstacles that are still ahead of us. We have lost a lot, but we have also grown despite the challenges. We have pushed and pulled and sometimes slipped backward, but ultimately, we can say we are still here. We are finding new ways of getting where we need to be.
South Africans are nothing if not tough. Despite the struggle and the hardships, there is that little spark in us all that pushes us and keeps us looking ahead at the possibility of what could be. Our wine industry is struggling, yes, but we have to persevere. We will meet our 2021 harvest head-on and keep pushing to produce an amazing new vintage. We have all been dealt a pretty bad hand, but this is not the time to fold.
We need to look forward to this year. What can we do with the knowledge that we have now, that we didn’t have last year? We can plan. We can accept things are a bit harder, and we can focus on moving towards our goals despite our challenges. They may be harder to reach but they are still there.
We are counting down the days to our harvest, and look forward to a new year, a vintage, and a new perspective. We can’t wait to see you all again soon!