Sing out the Old, Bring in the New

 Hello Everyone, I hope everyone who has celebrated the holiday season had a wonderful time and have started to recover from any excesses. As the New Year is almost here, I thought this might be the perfect time to look back and maybe glance forward. Obviously, looking at the world as a whole, it has been a turbulent year. So many conflicts across the globe, which, we can only continue to hope, will somehow find resolution and bring about peace. There are still many thousands of people who are struggling with Long Covid, that has left them debilitated and struggling to find a path back to health- again all we can do is wish them well. Alongside these relatively new problems, we are still confronted by the ongoing issues of poverty, homelessness and hardship. It seems impossible that these not only exist but are becoming increasingly common in nations that profess to call themselves 'civilised.' When the most vulnerable members of our societies are suffering, I think there's more than a hint of arrogance when a leader announces how 'well' a country is performing- from their perspective, perhaps it is, but not in the eyes of most of the population.

But as I am only one person, there is almost nothing practical I can do that will ease that level of suffering which leaves me with just my own experiences throughout 2023 and perhaps a few thoughts about 2024. In my corner of the world, it has been a challenging time, with both mental and physical health being, very often, at the forefront of my life. It is always difficult when things that you once took for granted suddenly become infinitely less sure, but fortunately, not having had the easiest of lives in the past, has prepared me for facing almost every kind of challenge.

As for writing, well, I managed to release more work throughout the year, which seemed very unlikely but luckily, I'm blessed with a very supportive group of friends and family, who never fail to keep me positive and on track. I think the release of my first novella 'After The Rain' was a definite milestone as, it is fast proving to be one of the most popular books I've ever written. As I write to you now, there is another project in the pipeline which is very different from anything I have tried before, so we will see how that goes in the fullness of time.

The perfect wish for all of you, friends, family and readers (but maybe not the weirdos and creeps)

I have been very fortunate to meet many new people this year, through social media, which is always a bonus as, I think we can all agree, you can never have too many friends. We share our thoughts on just about everything, support and encourage each other through difficult times and cheer at the successes. I know there is a lot of negativity about engaging with people online, but I have been remarkably fortunate in who has crossed my path. Yes, there have been a veritable selection box of weirdos and creeps who have appeared in my DMS, but it's easy enough to block them and go on my merry way.

But what of the future? Well, for many reasons, I have realised there is some truth in the idea that the only time we have is 'now' and so I'm going to try and be more present during every day rather than constantly looking forward to tomorrow. I feel when you have diagnosed depression, time can be the enemy, days can feel as if they are lasting for 48 hours instead of 24...the hours crawl by and seem never ending. It is very tempting to just shut down and reassure yourself, it will be better tomorrow. I have learned, without some input from me, tomorrow will just be another time period to be endured rather than hold any kind of promise. It's hard, sometimes almost impossible to believe that anything can change, but when I feel that way, I try and focus on just getting through the next hour, forcing myself to imagine doing something as simple as going for a walk. 

As for the rest of life, well, I have a few hopes and dreams that I'm going to try and work towards, they might not all come true but if even a couple become reality, then I'll consider that a win. Obviously, I'm hoping my family will continue to thrive, stay healthy and safe, while achieving their full potential. I know they are facing challenges of their own, but I have complete faith that they will overcome and somehow manage to become even more amazing.

You will have noticed I haven't mentioned any resolutions, and that is a conscious choice on my part. A few years back, I realised that mine were all about 'fixing' myself in some way, as if I had spent the whole year being every kind of failure and it was time to make some improvements. Now, I am far from perfect, but it seemed like such a negative way to start the year, to look in a mirror and list all the perceived faults. So instead for formal resolutions, I now try and add a few of those hopes and dreams I mentioned earlier, then work out ways of achieving them. As for all the physical imperfections, well, I recognise they are present but again, I try and think about how to improve my health as whole rather than manically deciding to begin the latest fad diet. I am not convinced that by shedding ten pounds in a week by drinking nothing but kale smoothies, my life will suddenly be transformed! I think life transformation takes place in your mind first, when you can genuinely start to like yourself and want to be kind to that face in the mirror.

Anyway, I'm sure you all have loads to do if you're involved in celebrating the New Year, either as a guest or a host, so I will leave you to get on with those preparations. Thank you so much for all the support and kind words, you have been such a mainstay of my life since this little blog began and I hope we will be able to get through another year together.

So have a fabulous time, stay safe and please know, you always carry my very best wishes with you..until the next time...actually until next year...

Take very good care out there xxxx