Opinion: ‘We can hope for a lifting of the shadow...’
North West Cambridgeshire MP Shailesh Vara writes...
The past year has been unlike any other.
We have lived under the shadow of a deadly virus which has affected each and everyone of us in many aspects of our lives.
I want to say a huge thank you to all those working in the NHS and so many others who have continued working in these difficult times.
We owe them an enormous debt of gratitude.
A major difficulty in the past year has been the inability to meet loved ones and friends.
While modern communication methods have allowed contact to be maintained, it is nowhere like a proper meeting, with a few hugs for good measure.
Christmas is a time to be shared with family and friends, a time for joy and happiness so not being able to meet and see loved ones will be hugely disappointing for many people.
Christmas is however a time of hope, and the vaccine for COVID-19 offers optimism for 2021.
As more and more people take the vaccine so we can hope for a lifting of the shadow and a return to normality.
But in the meantime, we must remain vigilant.
Christmas is also a time when we look out for the lonely and vulnerable and that is especially so this year.
I wish everyone a peaceful Christmas and let us all hope for a better and safer 2021.