Letting 2024 Highlights Focus My Goals for 2025!!

Hello friends….and let me say how grateful (and excited) I am to actually be sitting at this computer and able to say (type) hello.  To just be functioning as a human again.  I was so incredibly sick after Christmas.  Much sicker than I can remember being in a very, very long time.  I read this morning that one-third of all hospitalizations in my state right now are due to some form of respiratory infection (flu, covid, RSV and others).  I’m pretty sure I had all of the above and then some.  Ok, maybe that is dramatic.  I don’t know what I had, but whatever is going around is not pretty and something I do not want to ever experience again.  Pretty much felt like our silly dog here.  “I can’t even.”  I don’t say any of that for sympathy.  Just simply noting it here, on my blog, for my own personal reference.  That said, let’s move on.

I do hope everyone had a lovely Christmas.  My most favorite week of the whole year is this past one between Christmas and the new year.  Except I pretty much missed it this year.  So, I am starting fresh and am going to embrace the next seven days at my most favorite of the entire year:)  That happens to coincide nicely with one of my favorite days of the year – January 1st!  Ah but I love the freshness of the first of January.  Hello new month, new year, clean slate and a fresh start.  Such a wonderful feeling.

But before I get ahead of myself, I thought I would recap 2024 with a look at just a few of its highlights.  I had a couple of posts planned (but not pre-written – sigh) to end out the year but those, obviously, did not happen.  I have just a few hours left to reflect and remember just five things from 2024 for which I am especially thankful for.  Yes, there were more than five “great” things in this past year (even with all its challenges – and, yes, 2024 has been incredibly challenging!!) but I have chosen five with which to sum up the entire year.  And to help me focus my goals for the year ahead.  Getting started, number one is rather humorous after my last five days, nevertheless, let me start with

– my health.  Perhaps I should say my return to health.  Although I finished my cancer treatments in December of 2023, I knew it would take some time “get my health back.”  To feel like myself again.  Some days, I felt like it was taking longer than it should but the day did come when I thought, “Wow, I feel great!”  I was walking that morning (and walking longer than I have ever walked) and I vividly remember not only feeling so well and healthy but also so very grateful for the Lord’s healing and re-strenthening my body.  I don’t take any of that for granted.  I want to use that specific memory to keep me motivated and focused on healthy living/eating choices in the next year.  To not only continue walking but to walk more often.  And longer.  To add strength training and to maintain a healthy weight for me.  I am thankful for my healthy body and am priviledged to take the best care of it that I can.

– my son.  Yes, of course, I am thankful for all of my family.  I love them dearly.  And my friends, as well.  I could make them all one big bullet point but I am highlighting my son.  He is such an anchor for me and has been an incredible support, listening ear, walking buddy, friend, and encourager during these last months.  And he is funny.  He makes me laugh…and I need to laugh more.  In the 2025, I want to laugh more.  Laugh more easily.  As well, I want to foster relationships (all kinds of relationships) that help me de-stress more, help me enjoy the everyday things in life and that help me simply laugh a bit more!

–my trip to Panama.  My trip back in September was definitely a highlight of the year.  You can read a small recap here, if you missed it.  I am so grateful for the opportunity to take another missions trip.  Will it be my last one?  Could there be others in my future?  I do not know but I am grateful that God supplied not only the funds but also gave me the strength (yes, the needed good health) in order to do this trip.  The trip was not all relaxation, tourist fun or without challenges.  I learned much that I believe God could have only shown me through this trip.  Much of that learning and growing came through – you guessed it – the challenging parts of the trip.  Isn’t life rather like that??  And that’s what I want to remember in 2025.  I’m sure, the new year will have plenty of its own challenges and struggles; however, if I am willing (and my heart will stay tender), God would delight to not only walk me through the hard things but to strengthen me, mature me and mold me like Him as we go through the hard things together.

–my husband’s birthday.  We had a great time on our train ride for his birthday.  We didn’t celebrate huge, although it was a “big” birthday, but we celebrated in a way that was him.  I had wanted to throw a party, or at least celebrate with four, five or twenty of our closest friends.  He did not want that.  I thought we should take a European cruise and visits multiple ports of call.  He was not interested (at least, not right now).  I wanted those things, in part, because I thought it was what we were “supposed” to do.  But my husband is not interested in living/doing things in order to meet the expectation of others.  There is wisdom in that idea which I plan to take forward with me in the new year.  No, life is not all about me and I’m not suggesting that I simply make choices or decisions selfishly.  But I can quickly fall into the trap of making decisions and choices based on what I see others doing and/or what I believe others want to me do.  Trying to meet all those expectations can quickly drain your joy.  Trust me, I know.

–my trip to Tennesse with a best friend.  This trip did not have challenges.  (Finally – something challenge free.) Had no agendas.  Was literally just for the pure of pleasure of getting away.  Isn’t that wonderful?  And, for the most part, my friend treated me.  Just gifted me.  It has been a very long time (if ever) someone has done that for me.  I had the perfect time.  In 2025, I want to be a good friend.  No, I will not be able to take all my friends on vacations.  But I do not want to take friendships for granted and good friendships take time, attention and intention.  I want to be purposeful in letting those I care so much about know just how much they mean to me.  Here’s to more coffee dates, breakfast dates, shopping fun, silly texts and encouraging words in the new year ahead.  And maybe, just maybe, here’s to a girlfriend’s trip in just a few months.  High five to that idea!

Well, friends, I hope your 2025 starts off beyond well tomorrow.  Don’t know that I will be awake at midnight to usher in the new year (of course I won’t), so let me send my most festive wishes now.  Happy New Year friends!  I look forward to staying connected in this next year!!  As always, I am so grateful you stopped by!!