The only way for me to describe 2019 is by comparing it to a wild, exciting and (almost) enjoyable roller-coaster ride, with me mostly just hanging on with my eyes closed, enjoying wherever the ride took me.
This year has been a busy, but blessed one for me, both professionally and personally. My year started out with a bang when I received an award for the Best Impact Story of the Year at our annual Caxton Excellence Awards event, and while I was still celebrating this huge achievement, I was also afforded the opportunity to take over the reigns as the editor of both the Roodepoort Record and Roodepoort Northsider, a position that came with a lot of new responsibilities and challenges, which, with the help of my awesome team, we managed to handle.
But, these successes would not have been possible without the support of you, our loyal readers and community members. If you did not trust us to tell your stories, the paper would not have thrived. Without your loyalty to me, and each one of my journalists, we would not have been able to do what we love, and bring you a product to be proud of.
So, as the year is speeding to an end, I want to use this opportunity to thank all of you for your faith in me and every journalist, and your loyalty to the paper. We will be enjoying a well-deserved break from 20 December onwards to recharge so we can be refreshed and ready to tackle 2020 together.
My wish for each and every one this year is that you will remember the following, “Christmas is about so much more than festive decor and gifts under the tree – it’s about celebrating family, friends, and everything else that brings you joy. And the most important is, it’s not about presents, but presence.”
If you are travelling this holiday, be safe. If you are staying at home, spend it with friends and family and make new memories as you go along. Don’t sweat the small stuff; eat the extra slice of cake, have some more pudding and indulge in those luxury chocolates!
From my family to yours, may you have a blessed Christmas and may your 2020 be a year filled with 365 opportunities to ensure your goals are reached and dreams are realised.
Until next year, take care of each other!
