It’s That Time of the Year
Right now, our flame trees are ablaze withw reddish orange flowers. No surprise. It’s that time of the year.
The Park’s forests are greener and denser than they were a couple of months ago. A sign they’ve had much rainwater. A good indication of the season we are in.
The flies have become a little more abundant and extra annoying. And we are spending a good amount of swatting them away from our faces. It’s our ‘fly season’ now.
It’s much warmer now and we sweat profusely, even from the lightest exertion. It’s that time of the year, we (rangers) avoid the Sun as much as possible.
Our ears are very attentive around this time. Listening for weather forecasts. We do so because it’s the cyclone season too.
These are some tell signs to rangers that we’ve come to the year’s end, the Christmas season. A time that most of us look forward to. A time where we can get to unwind, reconnect, and reenergize.
The Christmas season is one of our busiest times at the park. We do get a lot of people, especially locals, visiting. It makes sense because it’s around this time that most people take their holidays.
For the Rangers, it’s work as usual. And we don’t mind. We are happy to have people come visit the park and experience what we live through every day.
Whilst we are dedicated to our work, we do value the Christmas period. So, I asked the rangers what this time of the year meant to them.
Here’s what they said.
Family. Ranger Meme said, ‘It’s that time of the year where our families get together.’ A massive gathering of relatives and friends accompanied by lots of food, eating, music, dancing, and merrymaking. This is one reason why Christmas is so important. We are reminded to be thankful of our human connection.
Celebration. Ranger Viliame said, ‘It’s the time to celebrate our efforts and be happy to be alive.’ This year has been very challenging with many unknowns, but we persevered. It’s important that we celebrate our journey and our enduring spirit.
Reflection. Ranger Saimoni said, ‘It’s a good time for some reflection.’ The Christmas season is a good time as any to reflect on our life’s journey.
To ponder the good and the bad. Reflection is a key element to moving forward.
Promise. Ranger Isaia said, ‘It’s a time where we promise ourselves, we will do better in the new year.’ Christmas time is where a lot of us take timeout to unwind and re-energize.
It’s the time we can set expectations for the new year. And this is an important step in achieving goals.
Courage. Ranger Lekima said, ‘It’s a good time to acknowledge our courage.’ This is year hasn’t been the easiest, especially with the current pandemic. The uncertainty could have made many of us lose heart, but we took it in stride. And this courage needs to be drawn on again as we enter the new year.
I enjoyed listening to the rangers as they shared their thoughts on what the Christmas season meant to them. It resonated with me.
This year has indeed, been a challenging one but we are not going to dwell on it. I’m happy we are almost done with 2021. I look forward to the new year with optimism.
In the interim, let’s enjoy this Christmas season because we deserve it.
Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!