We face into this new year with a shared goal of staying safe. We have come to realise that predictions are meaningless.

No one could have envisaged what the year 2020 brought us, collectively and individually. We are at war with an invisible killer that is indiscriminate when choosing victims.

The vaccines are on the way to prevent us getting COVID-19. There are always fears of side effects when a new vaccine is rolled out. There is generally time when people can hold back and adopt a wait-and-see approach. This time, the need to get people vaccinated quickly is acute. The elderly and vulnerable will be vaccinated first. Healthy people have a responsibility to get vaccinated, too. The message still holds: we’re in this together.

The public health message is clear, even if it is marred by political wrangling and confused by people (understandably) fighting for their livelihoods. The herd needs to be vaccinated in order to protect our most vulnerable citizens.

We as a public have never learned so much about a virus as it gathered momentum while sweeping across the world

We still need to follow the guidelines to stay safe. Scientists still don’t understand why one person, irrespective of age and health, can be killed by this virus and another continues unaffected. We as a public have never learned so much about a virus as it gathered momentum while sweeping across the world. There has been no go-to safe place. Our one refuge has been our own homes.

Yet, there were days when all I wanted to do was to escape my own home; to sit into the car and drive to see somebody far away.

So many of my friends have been forced out of reach by this virus. I hated not being able to visit my dad in Tipperary. My sister, Bernadine, and her family live within my 5km; yet we never met during lockdowns. My two brothers, Phil in Tipperary and Conor in London, have only met my grandson, Ricky, when he was an infant. He’s lived a whole year without any interaction with his extended family. The mind boggles, really.

Count the positives

We can go back over 2020 and continue to count the negatives which is not going to help our wellbeing. Yet, last year’s experiences leave us facing this year finding it challenging to plan and difficult to hope. We are living through a global pandemic. The scientific process must be trusted to get us through this crisis and so far they seem to be doing an amazing job. It is now time to change the narrative, dig deep and find the positives.

Sales of over-the-counter flu and cold medicines are well down on previous years

We have learned a new way of living. Sales of over-the-counter flu and cold medicines are well down on previous years. We are washing our hands more frequently. Hygiene has improved everywhere. We are generally healthier. None of us here have had colds or flu. Ricky is over one year old and has never had any cold or illness. Our houses are cleaner. We are not spending as much because we have nowhere to go.

Lives are less cluttered with appointments

Many people have taken up new hobbies. Others have organised their homes and filed their pictures. Gardens have been revitalised and DIY projects have been approached with determination. Lives are less cluttered with appointments.

Our close family relationships have benefitted from time spent together and the shared experience of getting each other safely through the pandemic. Working arrangements have had to change and there is real emphasis on keeping colleagues safe. I hope this means that we have become more compassionate and caring of each other.

We’ve also become interested in what is going on in every country as the virus rages and ebbs away from country to country. Brexit has heightened our awareness of ourselves as Europeans. When Germany was experiencing increased numbers before Christmas, I found myself concerned for the German people.

Look forward

I’m going to continue to work on keeping the family safe. I’m looking forward to calving in less than four weeks. I will be flat out rearing calves and to be honest, I can’t wait to see that first calf. Six weeks of really hard work will help us to park COVID-19 thoughts. I believe it won’t be long before the vaccination programme starts to make a real difference and we can start to look forward to two family weddings and a proper catch-up with friends and family.