Dear 2024…
you came with quite a few curveballs,
but at the same time,
turned out to be all that I hoped you would be.
January was introduced with a hint of carry-over anger from a situation that unfolded in December 2023. However, that carry-over lasted for a short time, and I quickly recognized everything I currently have to work with to have a great year ahead.
Despite its quick arrival and exit, February was a long waiting game.
March knocked with anticipation and warmth.
April was filled with adventure, laughter and re-settling into a space I call my own after being away for a while.
May started a new chapter I had waited almost 10 years for. I welcomed May with open arms, but my open arms felt heavy with nervousness, worry, imposter syndrome, and dread.
June gave me traction and taught me how to trust the process (even though I was unsure if the process knew we were trusting it). In June, I also re-discovered vulnerability with others and what it meant not to take myself so seriously.
July helped me realize how non-reciprocal vulnerability can be exhausting.
August came knocking too quickly to say I was halfway through the new chapter I started in May. This unexpected knock made me nervous because I was not ready to admit I was at that halfway mark yet, and too many things were happening simultaneously.
September brought a state of re-grounding and reminded me that planting my feet firmly on the ground will be helpful for what is to come.
October was the mirror I needed to realize how being and staying present with myself and others is HARD AF! It left me questioning how present I have been in the past.
November, oh, November! November tested every ounce of me (emotionally, physically, mentally and spiritually); I kid you not. Like WTF November?! Its presence felt like deja vu. All my learnings in therapy needed to shine with November, but they were dimmed instead.
December arrived with hope and urged me to focus on things I can control, which is the best way to live sometimes. Halfway into its visit now, I can confidently say that December has surprised me in all the best ways. It holds me gently as I exhale and rest so I can fully experience all the exciting changes coming in 2025.
So dear 2024, while in a nutshell you were the worst and at the same time the best, I will remember you fondly as the year that I completed a book I started writing back in 2014.
Here’s to you, 2024! 🍸…
…but I am ready for 2025 now.
(Blog entry photo: Ali Alcantara)
