100% Locally Owned, Independent and Free

100% Locally Owned, Independent and Free

Sami Muirhead: Hashtag grateful after the strangest of years

Do you have a news tip? Click here to send to our news team.

Ashley Robinson: it’s all about the little things

The recent Nambour show is a constant reminder to me about parenting and relationships with your kids, family and friends. It highlights what is actually More

Sami Muirhead: on a wing and a prayer

Wish me luck. I am airborne and Bali-bound this week, on a special pilgrimage to take my dad’s ashes to Indonesia. I am going with my More

Ashley Robinson: ‘love ya, Queensland, just as you are’

It was remiss of me not to write this column two weeks ago, for the June 6 edition, as it was Queensland Day: the More

Jane Stephens: the facts, plain and simple

Mincing words is overrated. Bamboozling people with purple prose is overdone. Using weasel words is just plain rude. The clouds have gathered in our lexicon and More

Ashley Robinson: all creatures great and small

I went to a wonderful celebration last week: the 4 Paws 20th birthday party at Headland Golf Club. It was a whole lot of fun More

Sami Muirhead: a recipe for family feuds

When my mother-in-law cooks her ‘Betty burgers’, everyone comes running to eat them. Generations of family and dozens of friends whisper in excitement when the More

Have you seen the Christmas tree decoration getting around that is a roll of toilet paper and says ‘2020’?  It sums up this strange year.

I am joining that annoying trend and acknowledging we are #grateful. I am more thankful for the basics this year: family, friends and fresh air.

I am cringing as I write that corny last line, as I am a greedy little pig who has usually melted her credit card by this stage of the season buying gifts, booze, and bucket loads of cranberry sauce.

Anyway, my point is that 2020 has whipped my greedy backside. I will never forget police roaming my local beach at the height of coronavirus to check we were ‘allowed’ to be there.

I never thought I would be fearful for my parents’ and kids’ health, as we all watched the pandemic spread. I never thought I would be homeschooling my children. Please never let that debacle happen again.

I never thought I would be isolated for everyone’s safety at my radio job and we would be broadcasting by ourselves, doing our best to keep everyone’s spirits up when we were terrified ourselves.

I lost one of my best friends as well as my dad in the middle of the pandemic and we couldn’t give either of them their final send-offs. This was simply strange. Now we are grateful to be able to hold a funeral. Dad always wanted a big send-off.

As I was putting a star on our Christmas tree with my Dad’s name on it, I realised I have not accepted the fact he is gone forever. Lex had chest pain so thought he would catch a bus to the hospital where he very sadly had a massive heart attack. I am still chuckling to myself that Dad caught a damn bus. Who does that?

Plenty of us have similar stories of losing loved ones this year. Heaps of friends have lost their jobs this year. Others cancelled their wedding or their overseas trips. One Grandma I know has waited eight months to meet her first granddaughter. It has been a big year of emotions for everyone.

So, sit back and suck in that fresh air this year. I will be suffocating my children with endless hugs as we wear our matching Christmas pyjamas and belt out Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas Is You.  I hope Christmas is special for all of you.

Subscribe to SCN’s free daily news email

This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
[scn_go_back_button] Return Home
Share