When, four months ago, I accepted the invitation to share my thoughts with you through this column on a weekly basis, I wasn’t quite prepared for the strong interest this would generate in both the mainstream media and the new social media. 

Many of my views were perceived to be critical of the status quo in Malta and sometimes even of the government, which I continue to support loyally in Parliament.  While, on occasion, my remarks might have been blown out of proportion, I make no apologies for the fact that, on my part, things were said when they needed to be said and how they needed to be said.

As an elected representative of the people in our nation’s highest institution, my duty remains that of defending the people’s rights and promoting the common good of our society.  Fulfilling this duty, even with constructive criticism, I believe, contributes not only to the progress of the country as a whole, but also to the strength of the Movement that has been elected to lead this country for these five years, a Movement of which I continue to be a proud member.   
As Parliament adjourns for its well-earned summer recess, and the local political scene slows down somewhat from its usual hectic rhythm, I feel it would be useful for each one of us to take this time to reflect more on the “big picture”, or to be more precise, on Malta and Gozo and how we live, within the bigger context of a global existence or if that's too much, at least, within the context of, or from a pan-Mediterranean perspective.

I find it very endearing that as  I go about my political, professional and personal business all over Malta and Gozo, many of the people I meet, probably encouraged by the stands I have taken on a number of issues, are constantly suggesting to me more issues that need to be addressed by the powers-that-be. This phenomenon is very positive, as I would be seriously worried if the Maltese become complacent about the way the country is being run, and start taking our current standards of all round living for granted.
Moreover since  in our communications we tend to focus more on the parts of our society that require urgent improvements,  and negative traits or aspects are mentioned more than good tidings, it is easy to forget that  the “big picture” is indeed comparatively and relatively positive. 

We are all fortunate to be living in Malta in this period of its history.

Undoubtedly, Malta remains one of the best places in the world to live in.  Many of us who have had the opportunity to travel or live abroad, or who find the time to talk with some of the over 1.6 million tourists who visit us every year, know that our lifestyle is second to none.  Although we might lack some of the opportunities that can only be found in very large cities, this is more than compensated by the exceptionally good quality of life that we Maltese enjoy.  What we have now and were we are now can be all attributed to  successive generations of Maltese  and Gozitans who have consistently worked hard to build the Malta that we are now experiencing, criticising,  loving and hating at the same time, but overall, thoroughly enjoying.
It is important that we not only remind ourselves of all the positive things that make up the Malta of today, but that we pass on this sense of positive self-esteem to our younger generations, with whom we have to be particularly frank and honest when we discuss both the achievements delivered, as well as the mistakes made, by successive governments in the course of contemporary Maltese history.

It is crucial that while we live the present with verve and enthusiasm, and strive to create the future of our dreams, we keep our history and lessons learnt from it firmly within sight.

Each one of us should feel personally responsible to transmit a positive, dispassionate, unbiased and fair assessment, especially of our contemporary history that saw the beginnings of our independent nation, a mere 50 years ago, to our children and grandchildren. 

Our rich culture which starts and finishes with our language, our diverse traditions in all their forms, our overall way of life and identity should be lauded, revered and nurtured, and not derided and labelled as the antidotes to the essence of progress.

I believe that our existence has to remain rooted in who we are and what we stand for even though it is inevitable that the life lived by our children and their children will be very different from how we, our parents and their parents before them spent their time on this earth. Much like a tree which looks nothing like its roots, and its leaves which look nothing like its fruit, our existence as a nation will only persist if those roots are fed by passing  basic knowledge, ethics and values, to the next generation as our forefathers did before us.

Next time we read through the international section of our newspaper, or watch the evening news, with their inevitable series of news items reporting on severe political, social and economic crises in other countries, we should again reflect on the three (or more) dimensional “big picture” and remember that it is not through sheer luck that our Malta of today is not in those desperate political, social or economic situations.

The wisdom and hard work of our mothers and fathers, and their forefathers before them, provided us with our little country's 'big picture' within which we exist and live today.

If we aspire to sustain and strengthen our country's favourable 'big picture' for our children and grandchildren, none of us can afford to shirk his individual duty towards this end. Only hard work and overall responsible decision making can sustain what has been so painstakingly achieved.

Marlene Farrugia is a Labour MP