Happy Holidays

 It's the season and the time of giving and being thankful.

We have battled a year that we will hardly forget. We've ventured through a storm we couldn't predict.

We struggled, cried, mourned at a point that we forgot what sadness is, as we got used to this feeling.

This might not seem the time to celebrate. And yet, I believe that there isn't a year in which we should celebrate more than this wicked 2020.

While being distant from each other, we are learning back again what it means to truly embrace this season. We have discovered once more the true value of affection, and the significance of cherishing those we hold dear, not through a monetary exchange, but by letting them know that no matter what, we will be there.

But I want to, first and foremost, be thankful, to each of you.

As for the majority of us, the outbreak of Covid pandemic has had a huge impact in my life. As some already knew, I had a store in Real Life, that I was forced to close in April because of Coronavirus needed restrictions. Harshlands became my full time job (it's quite hard to find a RL-based job where I live nowadays), and while commitment kept me excited, that came with a cost, with a luggage of stress and fear for the future. 

And so I want to thank you, for supporting Harshlands, especially in this time where we might easily be led to believe that non-primary needs seem to hold no value. I thank you for dedicating your time to my creations. They're made with my heart, and each word, feedback, suggestion, is a treasured blessing that I will keep. Second Life community is an amazing one. We stood strong and united in a time in which we could have been torn apart. We all understood the value of this fantastic platform. 

Second Life became the Real Life we wished for. And it brought us (and still brings us!) the peace we are longing for.

But since it is also the season of giving, I would like to remind you that the Giving Circle is ready for you. Many designer friends (friends, before designers) have teamed up to show everyone of you, how important you are. In our regions we have set up a Giving Circle filled with gifts for you. Please make sure to grab them, and visit each Landmark in it, because there may be even more gifts in their locations.

From the bottom of my heart, whether you will be celebrating Christmas, Yule, Saturnalia, Halloween (it's always Halloween, we know it), or if you are being thankful for what life will bring, Happy Holidays. And thank you for such a weird, twisted, but nevertheless incredible year.

Fingers crossed for a wonderful 2021!