For so many of us, Christmas is a special time to spend with those we care for and those who care for us.
While things are not quite back where we would like them and ‘normal’ still escapes us, it has been exciting to see the Christmas spirit spread across our city.
In this second difficult year, I believe we still have so much to be thankful for.
For me, I am thankful for the love and support of my family and friends without which I would not be where I am today.
However, I am most thankful for our community, to see hundreds of thousands of our fellow Hume residents roll up their sleeves, to do their bit not for themselves, but because it was the right thing to do, was and remains one of the most inspirational things I have ever seen.
To each person who did their bit and got vaccinated, if it wasn’t for you all, this Christmas would not be the open, safe, and joyful occasion I know it will be.
You are my Christmas heroes.
This time of year, also provides an opportunity to look forward, to ponder what the future holds for us all. 2021 for me was a year of renewed hope, 2022 will be the year of getting things done, and there is so much work to do.
I am excited to see businesses opening, community groups and sporting clubs reactivating, our streets getting busier and smiling faces across our city. I am excited to get our cities recovery going and to deliver for our people, to bring life and excitement back to our proud community , this will be my mission for 2022.
I will be spending Christmas with the people I love, something made possible because we as a community accepted our common responsibility to one another and saw through the conspiracies and the misinformation. We put our faith instead in science but most importantly we put our trust in each other.
Like many families, my family has our traditions, and it is because of you that we can keep them again in 2022. Thank you.
Please take a moment this Christmas, to reflect on the things you treasure, the things you are grateful for and to appreciate the things that only too recently seemed impossible.
Because that is what our community does, together we make the impossible, possible.
That to me, is Christmas.
From me and my family to you and yours, wherever you are.
I wish you all the love and joy this season brings.
Merry Christmas.
