A year that seemingly felt no remorse towards mankind, 2020 couldn’t have been worse for many. But, it came with lessons of its own. Here are some things learnt by from some female icons in 2020, as compiled form Vogue.
Malala Yousafzai
The Nobel Prize laureate and activist shared a few words about her journey in 2020. “At midnight on December 31, 2019, I was standing on the streets of London with my friends – a small, happy crowd in a much larger one. As we watched fireworks light up the sky, my head and my heart were full of grand plans for the New Year – my last days at university, graduation, travelling to places I’ve never seen. None of it turned out as I imagined. But we can still find ways to connect with friends and family.”
Yousafzai mentioned how she had to adjust her social life from cafes and trips to group chats on Houseparty. A sudden shift we all can relate to. “For the first time in my life, I’ve taken up video games, playing Among Us with my mates. And though I’ve very much missed seeing friends and making new ones, in some ways, I think we’re all closer now. The pandemic has affected everyone in every corner of the world. I hope that what we gain from this shared experience is a commitment to empathy, to the safety of our global community, to human rights and dignity, to our welfare, to health and education.”
Demi Moore
Moore is commonly known as an actor but also a renowned author for Inside Out, a bestselling book. She is famous for motivational words. For 2020, she stated, “I believe that life is happening for you, not to you. That means everything – not just the things that go the way you want. This past year has brought tremendous challenges, and with them a level of pain, loss, fear and uncertainty, beyond what many of us have experienced in our lifetimes. It has also offered the chance to slow down and re-evaluate our priorities.”
She added, “The pandemic brought my immediate family together with nowhere else to go. Everything that was working in our relationships remained great; anything that had been buried – old patterns, resentments, misunderstandings – came up and out.”Moore shared her own struggles too. “Through these months, I’ve also had a lot of time alone, which is different than being lonely. I have made greater efforts to connect with friends and family utilising technology and that has led to creating meaningful new communities of support,” she said. “Professionally, I started thinking outside of the box. When we are wrapped up in all that we see as wrong, we end up missing all that is right. It is a subtle shift but it makes a profound difference. I see a world that is suffering but healing and in need of love. We can be that love.”
Claudia Schiffer
Schiffer is a German model-cum-actor known for her projects like Love Actually, 1994’s Richie Rich and much more. She rose to fame in 1990s and ruled the fashion world for a long time. For the year of 2020, the starlet stated, “I’m very lucky to love what I do. I’ve always worked hard, been professional and trusted my instincts. Throughout my career, I’ve learnt how important it is to support others and when I think of the terrible impact of the Covid-19 around the world this year, I see how important it is that people have come together.”
She added, “I am forever thankful to all the incredible people and organisations that are fighting the impact of this virus and saving lives. I turned 50 in August and it has given me pause to reflect. When I look to the future, I think about our planet and the simple steps I can take to make a difference. We have to mend the world we have broken and listen to the generation we are passing it on to.”
© Anna Higgie | Photos by British Vogue
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