Saying goodbye to 2025 feels a little like closing a well‑worn journal. This year was full of lessons, surprises, and moments that shaped me in ways I didn’t always expect. As we step into a new year, I’m excited for the insights, adventures, and growth still ahead. Thank you for walking through 2025 with me. Through the lessons, the surprises, the shifts, and the small wins that added up to something meaningful. Here’s to a beautiful year to come!
Here we are at the end of another year. And, as always, I find myself looking back over the past year. What was good about it? What did I learn this year? What do I want to carry with me into the new year and what things do I want to release and leave behind with 2024?
I started attending a monthly book club at the local library this year and I have enjoyed it very much. This is definitely something I will continue into 2025. I've read some books that I never would have given a second look which I ended up enjoying very much! And it has been nice to get out of the house to talk books and meet some new people.
2024 was a year of medical appointments, tests, and procedures. At the beginning of the year I started having some stomach problems. Mostly consistent, painful heartburn that was not getting much relief from over the counter treatments. After being on prescription medication and having an endoscopy things have improved, but I still have to be careful about what I eat and take my medication.
One morning in July, I felt a pop in my knee and I couldn't put weight or walk on it for a while. Until I felt another, smaller pop. After that I could walk on it, but it was still painful. A trip to Urgent Care, xrays, an appointment with a sports medicine doctor and an MRI later - I was referred to an orthopedic surgeon. October brought knee surgery to have "floating bodies" removed from the knee and clean up some cartilage damage. The rest of that month and much of November was spent recovering and getting back to my normal activities.
We didn't do much traveling this year. Not as much as last year by any means. But we did spend some time at Folly Beach just outside of Charleston, SC - including a weekend with our kids and grandkids. The Man of the House and I also visited the Outer Banks twice this year. Traveling is something I want to see more of in 2025.
I had some wonderful visitors this year. My cousin in Canada surprised me with a visit during the summer. And my baby sister came to visit a couple of times which is always one of my favorite things. I could definitely use some more of that in 2025
The election. Well, what can I say? I really don't want to get into it. The one thing I will tell you is that it has encouraged me to think about what issues are most important to me and looking into ways I can volunteer or get involved to support them.
One of the biggest memories from 2024 will probably be Hurricane Helene. She tore through our area of North Carolina, causing devastating floods and mud slides. Power, internet and cell service was knocked out and remained spotty for weeks. Our power was out for most of two weeks, and other people had to wait even longer. We are on a well, so once our power returned we had water. But people on the local water system didn't have drinkable water for almost two months! The area is still trying to recover, and will be for a long time.
I have some exciting new things planned for the blog in the coming year. I hope you'll stick around for that. And definitely leave a comment or send me a message if there's something you'd like to see more of here in 2025.
I hope that your 2024 was filled with more highs than lows. More joy than sorrow. And more abundance than lack. And I wish great things for you in 2025.
My One Word for 2020 was "Intentional'. When life as we know it suddenly came to a screeching halt a few months into the year, I felt that trying to be intentional in the midst of a global pandemic was impossible. How was I supposed to be intentional about things when life was so uncertain and topsy-turvy?
I was wrong. 2020 taught me more about being intentional than I could have imagined when the year began.
It taught me what's really important by making me take a look at what I was able to easily let go of and what was really important to me. Health. Family. Home. Those are things that this past year taught me to cherish.
I became intentional about memorizing Bible verses. Somedays those were the words holding me together when I felt the worry, the anxiety, and the panic start to rise. Days when thinking about all that I was missing out on had me sad and miserable - the Word of God helped me to refocus and think about what is true, lovely, and praise-worthy.
It taught me to be intentional about what I want to read since books had to be placed on hold and picked up curbside at the library. No longer could I just wander the stacks pulling out whatever caught my eye.
I learned to embrace delivery services and curbside pickup. This meant that I had to be intentional as I planned for meals and shopping. Running down to the local grocery store to grab a few items I wanted or needed was no longer an option. I had to think about what I wanted to prepare in the days to come. Plan a complete grocery list and be sure I scheduled a delivery ahead of time so that I would have what I needed when I needed it.
I had to be intentional with my business as I learned to take supply chain disruptions and shipping delays into consideration. Especially as the busy Christmas season began, virus cases increased and the postal system became bogged down with shipments.
And toilet paper. Surely we all learned to be intentional about our TP usage. Right?
I think we can agree that 2020 was not fun, predictable, or easy. It was an anxious year. The Covid-19 pandemic, lockdowns, remote learning, unemployment, the elections, and social unrest had many of us feeling stressed to our absolute limits.
It was a year to let go of expectations, plans, and control to some degree. It was a year when graduations, weddings, and other celebrations were canceled. Sports seasons were delayed and games canceled. It was a year of loss. Hundreds of thousands lost their lives to the pandemic. We said goodbye to beloved and well-known names. RBG, John Lewis, Chadwick Boseman, Sean Connery, Alex Trebeck, Regis Philbin, and Eddie Van Halen - to name just a few.
But we also learned how creative we could be as we learned to celebrate in our own ways and make our own fun. We learned to embrace disruptions to our daily schedules and lives and go with the flow.
We figured out how to work or learn from home. In the comfort of our pajamas and lounge-wear.
Some of us learned to bake. Not me - but based on all the sourdough bread I saw showing up on Instagram, many of you did.
We cheered on our essential workers as they worked long hours to save lives, often without the proper equipment to protect themselves. We developed a newfound respect for healthcare workers and teachers.
We learned how to use Zoom and Skype. Not just for work and school - but to stay in touch with friends and family.
We made ourselves feel as if our lives were a little less crazy by comparing them to the drama lived out by a bunch of tiger owners. We finally caught up on all those tv shows and movies we've been meaning to watch. We fell even deeper into our infatuation with Baby Yoda.
It was a tough year. One we probably wouldn't choose to live through again. But it also taught us valuable lessons about ourselves. Our strength. Our resourcefulness. Our capacity for kindness.
Here's hoping for a happy, healthy, peaceful 2021.
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