2025. Can you believe it? I’m resolved to try to slow time down and yet here we are, five days in already. Insane.
So far this year …
… we’ve had a New Year’s Day hike at Umstead, the local nature park, rather than Hanging Rock which is all of two hours west of here. The girls were out on New Year’s Eve and getting them up early was not going to happen. Still, we hit a different trail at Umstead and hiked a five-mile loop. It was pretty, a lot of people were out, and everyone we encountered seemed to be in a good mood …
… I’ve read three books between Christmas and today which is probably more than I read in all of 2024. Gifts of Passage, Lessons in Chemistry, and The God of the Woods, in case you were wondering. I realize that to be a better writer, I must find the time – no! reallocate time – to reading something more substantial than my Instagram feed …
… We went to Frankie’s Fun Park and played Laser Tag, which was a lot of fun by the way …
… We visited with Alyssa S., a friend of the family who we’ve known since she was in kindergarten, and ate grilled chicken with ranch dressing – her special request …
… We celebrated G’s 20th birthday a few weeks early (since she will not be here for her actual birthday) at bartaco and finished up the evening with dessert at Il Bacio …
… We put away Christmas and readied ourselves for a fresh start …
… and today we are saying goodbye to G, who leaves for France this afternoon for spring semester study abroad.
Pretty mundane stuff. So mundane that I had to ask B to remind me what we did over the last few days because I’d sort of forgotten. One day flows into another, you know? Tomorrow, I head back to my full-time job, we have one more week with M, and I will do my best to be a better person in the coming year.
B alerted me to an article in the Washington Post about nudge words for the year and although my relationship with the Post is on rocky ground right now, the article suggested an intriguing (at least to B and to me) concept of picking a word that will remind you / keep you grounded on a goal you’re trying to achieve for the year.
After some thought, I had decided on ‘laughter’ as my nudge word because I’ve always been far too serious and I would like to try to lighten up, especially after the challenges we’ve all faced over the last four years. (Terminally ill mother, aging and health-challenged father, kids working through major life stages, yada yada yada).
In thinking lately, though, I’ve also wondered if my nudge word (or phrase) shouldn’t have something to do with ‘sharing in joy’ or ‘others before self ‘ … because I realize I am incredibly self-focused, so much so that I fail to share in the excitement and joy others are experiencing in their lives. I do not give enough of myself to others. G, for example, is as I said, leaving today for a four-month adventure in Europe and instead of sharing in her excitement, I have been a serious Debbie Downer. I have been so caught up in my own life, and in worrying about the challenges she may face, that I have failed to demonstrate an appropriate level of joy on her behalf. Isn’t that sad? I do not want to be that person any longer and so I think focusing on others is definitely something worthy of my efforts this year.
Anyway, Happy New Year to all of you out there – here’s a reminder to make the most of every day, even if you’re tired or just plain worn out from the world. Extend yourself some grace. find some joy. make someone else smile. Cheers!
surviving nc 