It’s always amazing how quickly the year ends. In January it seems like there’s all the time in the world and then BAM it’s December 31st: time to say goodbye to one year and hello to another. Every year I welcome the last week of December with open arms. It signals the end of the busy season and I can finally relax and take the long-awaited breath I’ve been needing.
I take this moment of rest to reflect on the past and make plans for the coming year. Things were a little different this year. Looking back, 2023 was a hard year for me. It was filled with a lot of change…unexpected change. The biggest ones happened in the first three months of the year, starting in January with the unexpected death of my cousin. Our family barely recovered from his death when my father passed away two months later. It was so sudden and quick, that I didn’t even get a chance to say goodbye to him or see him at the hospital. One moment he was alive and all was right with my world and the next he was gone. That’s how sudden it was.
When I started 2023, I had chosen the word courageous as my word for the year. Many of the plans I made were out of my comfort zone. I wanted a word that reflected the feeling of facing my fears while still acknowledging them and courageous seemed to encapsulate it. Turns out, courageous was what I needed to be in 2023.
Now I begin 2024, not at all sure what to expect. I’m a little apprehensive and scared, not knowing what kind of changes this year will bring. Making a plan has been harder. Even coming up with a word for the year is hard. I think I’m still reeling from all the curveballs that were thrown my way in 2023. It may take a bit to fully recover and I’m okay with that, change takes time. In the meantime, I’m focusing on all the ways God’s blessed me and being thankful for all those blessings. So even though I don’t know what 2024 will look like, I don’t have to fear the unknown. God’s still in charge.
Prayers for a blessed 2024. Happy New Year everyone!