With the Chinese New Year celebrations for 2021 upon us, and the current Covid-19 pandemic still clearly in ou minds. Now is a good time to consider our plans and expectations for the coming year.
I am reminded, that every year, as the new year comes around, I am always looking for right words that might simply convey, and express, in a personal way, 3 key points most of us want to say to each other.
These being Health. Happiness and Good Fortune, or coming from a chinese perspective. 恭喜发财 (gōng xǐ fā cái) “Wishing you wealth and prosperity.”
Whilst I think the majrity of us certainly would like Health and Happiness in our lives, I dont agree that every parent might agree with me, that they either seek, or want, a fortune for themselves or their family. Obviously, we all have our reasons for our actions, and I am fine with this, and fully understand that not everyone wants to constanly change the environment around them. Stability after all, is a very comforting thing for many of us.
For this reason, I think, HARVEST is a great third word to add to our NEW YEARS celebration sayings.
HARVESTING, in the case of our farmers, normally follows, and results from, work that was undertaken prior to the HARVEST period (ie. we clear the land, plough the fields, plant the crops, waater the fields and harvest the crops when they are ready). Therefore it follows, that if we do good things in the past, current and future, that at various times we will see the harvest we have performed in our lives as a reward for our EFFORTS at some point in the future.
HARVEST implies that you will reap something from what you have sown. For example, as a father or mother, the more energy we invest with our family, hopefully our harvest could be returned to us in future years, and in many ways … better behaved children, children that are more respectful of others, children that want do more work around the house to help each other etc.
HARVEST can also imply that rewards or acknowledgement might be given or recognized for the efforts each of us might make at work or in the home by others.
