This has been quite a year, hasn't it? Just this week a friend referred to it as a "skip year" .... and that definitely felt appropriate. Weeks and months slid by at a dizzying speed. Like, how is it December when just yesterday I was planning for the summer vacation that never happened?! For many, it seemed like there was barely enough time for the basics, haphazardly shoved in-between a lot of unexpected obstacles and life-shifting situations. Big words could be used to describe 2024: change, illness, injury, loss, scarcity, challenges, and uncertainty. These don't even take into account the silent battles. And even if you were given an "off-year" on the struggles, the year just went by SO DANG FAST. I've been in a lot of end-of-the-year conversations that revolve around one bewildering question: "What the heck happened?!"
The truth is some years are not about getting ahead, but instead just doing our best to maintain. Some years are filled with setbacks and might not feel celebratory at all.
So here's what I've been thinking....how about this year we just give ourselves a break?
....because it seems like all of us were sitting in the thick of it.
What if this year we just decided not to measure ourselves against anything at all?
....because I think we can all agree this year certainly was NOT like the others.
What if we just decide to end the year gently?
Maybe take some time wrapped in a cozy blanket, sipping a cup of cocoa (with a few extra marshmallows tossed in!).... for no reason at all other than to just be still.
What if we just do the slow things like take a walk in nature or sit by a fire, mesmerized by the slow embers and the crackle-pop.
What if this time we just whisper our way through the remaining squares on the calendar?
What if we allow our self-reflection to sound like a soothing grandma's voice reading a bedtime story?
What if we left 2024 behind the way we quietly tiptoe from a baby's room once we pat them to sleep?
.....and softly close the door.
I am sending love to everyone as we close the door on 2024 and I truly appreciate you being here.
In the new year I hope you will join us for a few "fresh starts" in the Garden!
We'll be creating Vision Boards for 2025 on January 12th.....
And I cannot express how inspirational the Tuesdays in the Garden series is going to be. Twenty women have devoted their time to share their skills and passions with us! The series begins January 14th....
There is also a "Choose Any 8" option .....
This is what my soul needed to hear. Your words are always perfect. Thank you, my beautiful friend. Happy New Year! 💕 🦋