Final Blog

It's the last day of 2014, and my blog has reached its 60th post.

I guess I could say that's one of my "accomplishments" over the past year, if rambling on and on about my life over the internet counts as an "accomplishment"  :)  But seriously, though, given that it's New Year's Eve, I'd like to wrap up the year with some thoughts.

Weighing most heavily on my mind is the fact that, for many, the Holiday Season is a time of great stress and even depression.  I, for one, have always cherished Thanksgiving over Christmas because it just seems simpler:  food and family/friends, with no pressure of presents or parties!  Christmas in the past was often hard because, as I received Season's Greetings (in the form of family photos or newsletters) from friends and acquaintances, it became easy to compare my "accomplishments" (or lack thereof) with theirs.  So I felt like a bit of a hypocrite this year when I sent out my own newsletter to a few friends.  Does telling my friends about what I've been up to come close to bragging?  Or are they happy to hear about my new experiences?  I tried to be brief, and to also be as honest as possible in sharing both blessings and challenges from the past year.

Each year brings its own set of struggles, and some years are just harder than others.  Would I even have the energy to write this blog post if my 2014 were as rough as some previous years?  Probably not.  The reason I write tonight is because I'm doing well, and because I'm enjoying a quiet and restful night at home.

What I'd like to say tonight is that, as much as the approach of a New Year is supposed to bring new hope, joy, and expectations, I think it's ok to grieve a little on the last night of the old year.  Perhaps this past year was disappointing, and perhaps there was some form of loss.  I happened to have a very good year, but that doesn't mean that 2015 won't have some kind of disappointment or even devastation.  This isn't me being morbid; it's an acknowledgement of what Life is.

If only the Holidays allowed us to be sad in the midst of festivity, and to mourn a little as we look over the year.  And for those of us who have had a good year, with lots of things to celebrate, may we be sensitive to others around us and not overwhelm them with tidings of good cheer.  Let's let New Year's Eve and New Year's Day be what they are--just two other days in the cycle of Life.  Cheers to that!