What a year it has been! I cannot quite believe we have made it to December 2020 but also that we are still, as I write this piece, in a lockdown situation, with the virus still packing a considerable threat to society
Back in January, before we knew what the future held, I looked forward to a hugely eventful and positive year in both my professional and personal life. Michelle Jones Weddings had many fabulous weddings to look forward to and new venues were all set to launch on the market throughout the year. My calendar was packed full of volunteering and charity commitments with so much opportunity to make a difference. We had started major development and renovation work on our house, following 12 years of hustle. I had a major life changing operation to navigate and there were so many good times to be had. Never did I imagine, weddings would be cancelled, charities would need to pivot to meet a totally different need but struggle beyond belief. I never imagined when we moved into temporary accommodation we would still be here and facing further delays. Cancelled operations, meaning more struggling and further resilience. If someone had said I would need to home-school my children and I would share my workspace with my Husband, I would have laughed out loud right in their face. And as for the good times, so much has been cancelled and we have needed to be creatively organised to make the most of the situation. The world stopped, we continued living but life as we knew it jammed on pause. So much emotion and so much sadness. We, like many others, said goodbye to a close family member; grief is incredibly hard but Covid-19 takes it to a different level, a funeral for only 10 people is cruel, the inability to sooth one another is inhumane. I know many of you have faced similar difficulties, my heart goes out to you all. I could never have conceived a world where children are going hungry, where businesses are ceasing in the masses, where people are fighting over toilet roll, that redundancies are the norm and it is dangerous to see your loved ones. This year has been incredibly testing. It has tested me as mother, a wife, a business owner, a homemaker and a community volunteer. But, the lessons, the opportunities, and the surprisingly amazing moments it has brought, have been life changing. The pandemic brought home so many opportunities to reflect, learn and appreciate. For me, personally, I realised my true purpose and the need to live by my own values and ethos. Weeks into the pandemic I took part in Newcastle Start-up Week, a fly-onthe-wall conversation about an idea I had, an idea I knew needed to come alive. The interview was a bit crazy as I was jumping around all over the place trying to understand what and how. Today, I am a Director of a new business, Michelle Jones Weddings is still committed to clients and as always will deliver magical experiences. But I am the Founder of a Community Interest Company, a community movement designed to make a difference, to remove barriers and provide opportunity, with the sole purpose of celebrating kindness. ‘A little bit of kindness makes the world sparkle’ is my belief. In 2021 I will be bringing you an opportunity to be kind every day, to help others every day, to support society and the economy every day and to help yourself every day, but ultimately to make the world sparkle every day. 2020 may have been absolutely awful but I am optimistic about the future and I believe the future is Kind. Sending much love to you and all your family, I wish you a kind and healthy 2021. Have a very Merry Christmas, I hope it is filled with love and hope.