A time for reflection.
The last days of the year bring both the sense of an ending, and the possibility of a beginning. I find myself looking back at the year as a whole, almost in a summarized form. I’m aware of the main things I found difficult (changes in my business, the declining health of a cherished family member), and then the things that brought joy (changes in my business, family holidays, time together with loved ones). The very things that proved most challenging also had an upside that is only visible to me now with the gift of perspective that comes with reflection. The solutions to the problems that I faced were not clear to me at the time, but now in retrospect, they seem more obvious.
This year my business changed its form as a result of various external factors, and I fought to cope with the change, to decide what needed to be done to adapt and to keep it viable. Its taken months of worrying, planning, processing and persevering to navigate the change. The end result was not clear to me at the start, but the journey provided the solution.
A family member also changed her form this year, also as a result of uncontrollable factors, and as we watch the ravages of dementia take pieces of her from us, we have no choice but to take each difficult day as it comes, and to cherish the time that we do have left.
When I look back over the year I find that certain key words materialize for me:
Grief (over what has changed). And then Gratitude (for what remains).
Fear (around what steps to take next). And then Relief (for choosing any one of them).
Uncertainty (about what lies in store). And the Resolve (to handle whatever may happen next).
There are difficult times lying in wait for us all in the year ahead, but there will be pockets of joy too. The downswings will be softened by an upswing that may take time to reveal itself. May we have the necessary patience if the positive is not clear to us immediately, and may we find the fortitude and steadfastness to make it through the tough times, in order for the goodness to appear that will balance the bad.