Hello! It is New Year’s Eve. Normally, I would be preparing to go out and enjoy a night of festivities, but instead, I find myself at home, alone and isolated due to contracting COVID-19 for the first time since this pandemic began. Naturally, I feel a tinge of disappointment that my holiday plans have been disrupted. However, above all else, I am filled with gratitude that both my loved ones and I are still in good health and here together.

I’ve experienced quite a journey this year. I have lost of some friends, including a couple whom I never imagined parting ways with. My heart was broken, and it felt as though the pieces were irreparably scattered. However, I found the strength to heal. I rediscovered myself, focusing on self-care and pursuing activities that brought me joy. I transitioned to a new job, then quit found another job that ignited a passion that I hadn’t known I had. Along the way, I allowed myself to be vulnerable and opened my heart to someone new, and they will be accompanying me into this new year.

As the years pass by, it seems as though it accelerates, making it difficult to believe that 365 days have already passed since we last toasted to a new year. We swore it would be better than the last, but this last one was hard. The next one will be too. Will it ever become easier? Maybe we will just learn how to take the good with the bad and grow from it. Every New Year’s Day, we symbolically reset, seeking a fresh start, but in reality, we will wake up tomorrow with only a single digit changed on the calendar, continuing to navigate life as before.

So, to 2022; I don’t except everything to go smooth, I know there will be bumps in the road. I request that I have the wisdom to take what I’ve already learned and put it to use. I hope that I am still cherishing the presence of my loved ones, 365 days from now and I trust that I will receive some blessings mixed in with the downfalls. Cheers to a new year.