I suspect I’m not the only one trying to rationalise where the year has gone as we hurtle towards the festive season and the end of 2026.
For us, it has been a celebratory rollercoaster. We’ve squeezed so much joy and connection out of every moment of our 100th year, and it’s quite something to reflect on as the Londolozi family. A happy sadness, to be drawing to the close of something we’ve looked forward to for so long.
Our intention for the year has been to hold the light. That has taken many forms. Reverie and joyful expression have been high on our list, but so has remembering the inner light each of us carries, and tending to it so it can guide us – not only through the dark times but through the busy ones that deserve a pause and a gentler pace.
If you’ve been with us for a long time, you’ll know that storytelling is a big part of Londolozi, and so is tracking. A tracker reads the small signs the bush leaves behind and follows them one print at a time, trusting what they can’t see yet. Today, my invitation is to imagine a lantern, that works in a similar way. It only lights what’s close and asks you to walk at the pace its light allows.
Today’s offering is a different kind of tracking, and a different kind of storytelling. It’s about tracking the energy inside each of us, the small flickering flame, and noticing what it needs. And like the stories told around the fire, that flame is meant to be shared, as compassion, trust, and understanding, one lantern lighting another.
For me, when things feel out of control, my counterweight has always been to slow down on purpose and make time for inward reflection. The simplest forms of mindfulness and meditation are well researched for a reason. They help regulate your nervous system and tell your body, even for a few minutes, that it is safe.
And so, as part of our 12 days of Londolozi, today’s gift isn’t a long read. It’s a 30-minute guided meditation that begins with a lantern.
Find a quiet spot, get comfortable, and shut out the world for a little while. Join me in holding the light together. And, if it feels like something worth sharing, pass it on to someone who might need a lantern this season.
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on Hold the Light: A Guided Meditation