Do you hear it? That crisp sound of a page turning? The sparkling bells of a new day dawning? I swear I do. I always like a fresh start, but somehow this one feels especially welcome. Unlike last year, I do not feel feel the strong need to plan out every step of my year – tbh, it wasn’t that effective, and my inability to meet my self-imposed (and admittedly rigorous) schedule left me feeling frustrated and unsatisfied with all the accomplishments I did have. This year, my main focus is on internalizing what I’ve learned, being grateful for the opportunity to move forward, and stepping into the future with newfound wisdom. Plus, I still have most of last year’s plan to finish, so there’s that.
The last quarter of last year took a definite turn away from my carefully laid plans, when I fell from the loft of our newly finished studio (more on that soon!), and broke a couple vertebrae, a few ribs and lacerated my liver. That was definitely not accounted for in my 2024 outlook, but all things considered, I was extremely lucky. Everything I damaged was able to heal completely, on its own without surgery or casts, and here I am 4 months later, almost 100% healed. I’m very grateful. Two weeks after my fall, my mom had to have open heart surgery. While that was very scary for all of us, she has had an amazing medical team, and she’s come through well, feeling stronger than she did before. And then there was the election, which for me felt like it’s own sort of life-altering curve ball.
Although I wasn’t looking for a lesson in resilience, or patience, or the importance of community, the difficult events of 2024 did provide those lessons, and lots of others. They have changed how I think about my time here in important ways, and allowed me to give myself a little more grace, I think. Everything we experience and endure informs us in some way, and helps to strengthen the person we are, from near-death experiences to the cat videos on insta that I happily devoted my last 15 minutes to. (Okay, I’m not entirely sure what they taught me, but at least they gave me a delightful dose of endorphins).
And so, it is with great enthusiasm that I welcome a fresh start, and a chance to pursue my goals with new insight. I used the time between Christmas and Epiphany to get some deep rest, and now I feel refreshed and excited about the year ahead. Happy 2025, everyone!
