By: STEPHEN WEIR

Letters, oh yes we got letters, and emails, and texts, and videos and even phone messages last Sunday night.

In fact, readers are still sending New Years’ Greetings, but now in 2023 most of what we see arrive from the Internet.  But no matter how the messages got on our computer screen, the thoughts and prayers continue to be the same year after year after year. Hope. Love. Peace. Oh yes and “Let’s Lose Weight” and “Exercise!”

Mr. Dance, Martin Scott-Pascall is currently in Yaoundé in the Cameroons these days. He posted a religious drawing and wrote to his friends here in Canada that he “is making a way in the wilderness and streams is doing even in our wilderness moments. Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me. Happy New Year Everybody. God Bless.

Destra the Queen of Bacchanalia was thinking of her friends and fans around the world when she posted a January 1^st message of love. “Wishing the Happiest New Year to all my Fans, Friends and Family Everywhere!!! 2023 get ready for us!!!

Destra and fellow Soca superstar Machel Montano also posted tributes to Calypso great Black Stalin (Leroy Calliste). The 1999 Calypso King of the World died in Trinidad last month of a stroke.

Mark Brantley, the premier of Nevis took to Facebook to give a year end message to the citizens of the island. He for the most part talked about all things local; the first CT Scan in the island’s history is now up and working at the hospital. Three Geo-thermal wells are being dug to make the island energy self-sufficient. The school sports’ teams are winning. But most important, he wants everyone on Nevis to make the island one of Empathy, Compassion and Love!

A Facebook follower posted a picture of a box of diapers.  There is a note on it thanking the mystery man who put a $20 bill inside the box while shopping.

We don’t really think that 26-year-old Emmy award-winning actress Zendaya knows who we are, but we applaud her year-end message just the same! “Wishing everyone the most beautiful new year. Wherever you may be, I hope you are full of love and joy,” Zendaya wrote. “There is so much I look forward to sharing with y’all this year. Love you and appreciate you always❤️”

Let us leave the last NYE words to Pope Francis. “May your life become a garden of opportunities for happiness … That in spring may it be a lover of joy. In winter a lover of wisdom. And when you make a mistake, start all over again. For only then will you be in love with life. You will find that to be happy is not to have a perfect life. But use the tears to irrigate tolerance. Use your losses to train patience. Use your mistakes to sculpt serenity. Use

pain to plaster pleasure. Use obstacles to open windows of intelligence. Never give up …. Never give up on people,” wrote the Pope.