Letter of the Day | Let’s rebuild and rise together stronger in 2026
Published:Friday | January 2, 2026 | 12:05 AM
THE EDITOR, Madam:
As closed 2025 filled with speeches, promises, dreams, challenges, and visions that at times seemed to whirl away like a sudden whirlwind, we pause to reflect. Even when our dawn felt distant, each ending carried within it the quiet sign of a new beginning.
The future we imagined was shaken, threatened, and tested. Yet, even in the moments when hope dimmed, it returned with a sparkle, reminding us that the promise of a better tomorrow is stronger than any storm that rises against us.
Rooted in saturated soil, soaked by unimaginable rain, and pressed beneath the relentless sun, we have learned again that change comes in many forms, invited or uninvited, expected or unwelcome.
Hurricane Melissa was such a test. She reminded us that the race does not end at the finish line, and that the words “The harder they come, the harder they fall” speak not of defeat, but of the resilience that defines us as one people building one nation.
As sunrise replaced the darkness with its glory, the breeze finally settled and the land exhaled after days of trembling. We lifted our eyes to a sky washed clean by the long, slow passing of Melissa. The roaring winds quieted. Trees stood trimmed by nature’s hand. Banana and fruit lay humbled on the ground. Rivers carved new beds. Hills rounded, scarred but, steadfast, remained standing.
We give thanks for this Silent Night, and for the many nights to come, which remind us that peace after fury is still a sacred gift.
For we are a people shaped by weather and wonder, by trials that test the bone and triumphs shared that strengthen the spirit.
Our roots run deep into ancestral soil,
soil watered by struggle, fertilised by faith,
and warmed by the unending fire
of a people who refuse to surrender.
Hurricane Melissa could not silence the songs born from the Black of night songs of strength, creativity, and courage. Gold shines still for the wealth of sunshine that blesses our days. Green endures for hope, for land, and for the richness that feeds our future. All held together by the timeless promise of our motto:
As we step into a new year and a new chapter of our shared journey, may we carry forward the lessons of this season: unity, resilience, compassion, and the unbreakable spirit of Jamaica. Let us rebuild, dream and rise together stronger than before.
PATRICK BROWN
Pembroke Pines, Florida