“New Dawn, New Journey: The Trajectory Of Our Lives”
My Fellow Jamaicans at home and in the Diaspora:
On this first day of 2022, we welcome a new dawn of limitless possibilities.
Today, as we start a new journey into the unknown, I offer you words of hope and courage. Hope to believe that better days are on the horizon, and courage to rise and meet them.
The British Poet John Donne says ‘No man is an island entire of itself’. The bonds that unite us are stronger than the elements that divide us. It is this unity that will sustain us as we pull ourselves together, retool, and refocus on what we can achieve even as we confront the triple realities of crime, COVID and corruption.
We must not allow Jamaica to be defined by antisocial behavior, but by the brainpower of our scholars, the speed and agility of our sportsmen and sportswomen, our ingenuity and our perseverance. We continue to be inspired by our heroes, leaders, parents, pastors and professionals.
As a country, we have been able to evolve and adapt through the eras of our experiences, and by “the strength and vigour of our minds, ” we can continue to chart a united path to achieve our goals. We cannot proceed into a solid future pulling apart in different directions.
Our Poet Laureate, Olive Senior, in her anthology, Over the Roofs of the World, reminds us, and I quote, ‘you have entered that place where flight is given. . . ‘unquote.
That is where we are today. So we take flight into the new year, ready to:
- Reaffirm our commitment to God and country.
- Celebrate each other.
- Believe in ourselves, and,
- Continue building a solid foundation for generations to come – one step at a time, one day at a time.
Mitch Albon, the famous American author and journalist, reminds us in his bestselling novel, The Five people You Meet In Heaven that, ‘Things we see around us did not appear with our arrival, they were here long before. . . We only build on them, strengthen them, repair them so that the next generation can take it, befittingly, to another level.’
The problems of the past year have tested our mettle and strengthened us to face the odds. In 2022, we will also face challenges that include making crucial decisions in our personal and national lives.
However, we do not fear the future if we accept the charge given to Joshua after the death of Moses, ‘Be strong and very courageous, do not fear . . . for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.’
As we stand at the gate of 2022, we will tread into the new dawn, and embark on this new journey with courage, confidence and commitment and TOGETHER we will reap the success of nation-building, while also building our HOMES and COMMUNITIES.
Lady Allen and the King’s House Staff join me in wishing you a bright and prosperous New Year filled with good health and happiness.
God bless you and God bless ‘Jamaica, land we love.’