Another year has come and now gone..
The Christmas experiment of taking my Bert to our home for Christmas with the family turned out very well. It was a wonderful day for all of us. All the angst and what ifs and worry about a failed dinner, confusion, anxiety and the many issues that could occur when caring for a beloved husband and father in the grips of Alzheimer disease fizzled into nothingness.
We tend to worry too much.
Now 2020 is here. Again the hullabaloo of making resolutions assaults the airwaves. I pay no attention. At the dawn of 2019 I chose the word ‘light’ to be my guiding star. I will keep it going. Heck, I may never change it!
I do believe in the yin and yang of existence. I believe we need both to keep balance. I know that without darkness, without evil we would not know light or goodness.
Of course, 2019 brought its darkness. There were many ‘firsts’ in my life that came unwanted, unbidden. There were some I eagerly embraced. Through it all the light kept on shining.
This momentous dawning of not only a new year but a new decade gives me pause as, with the help of every news medium, I am bombarded with reminders of the momentous events that happened in the last decade. There were some amazing stories both good and bad. Surely this coming decade will be an entangling of the same. After all, we know the only constant in life is change.
So here we are entering the third decade of the twenty-first century. I look back at my own third decade and realize it was a momentous one in my life. However, I have no desire to return to it. In this new decade I am looking forward, still blinded, unknowing, but hoping for the best. The future is clothed in mystery and that is how it should be.
During 2019, I learnt to not dwell too much on the ifs and what ifs. I know that life will go on as it usually does. Much will happen as the world inexorably unfolds and the history of this time is recorded. Some events will affect me personally as my own history continues. Some will affect all of us and be worthy of note because we are part of this world and part of the universe. We will laugh. We will cry. I hope the laughter is more abundant than the tears.
As Doris Day sang: “Que sera, sera, whatever will be, will be.”
I am also aware that each of us has the power to make a difference to many. What we do and how we do it will attest to our strength and belief in ourselves to do good or evil or do nothing at all. We just have to choose and choice is what makes us human.
My choice for the new year and the new decade is to savour the many moments of joy, no matter how small, to treat others as I would like to be treated, that all I do will be fuelled by love, to keep on learning, to live in hope and yes, to continue to seek the light knowing that the stars are brightest in the darkest night.
The Meander: I wish good Health, Joy and Peace to all. Happy New Year! Happy New Decade!
How wonderful it is to begin the year with such an inspiring post!
Thank you Paula for the light you bring us!
Warmest best wishes for the New Year.
Bonnie
Wishing you the very best for the New Year and always.
Please join me in seeking the light. At the very least it will help us to develop a positive attitude and sometimes it is all that gets me through the day.
Thank you for this lovely comment.
Merry xmas & Happy New Year Paula. My apologies for not extending my well wishes to you sooner, but I’ve been in a VERY dark place over the holidays. Our family haven’t enjoyed the holidays together since my mothers brother died(during this time of year about 10 years ago or so) and since my sister has kept my nieces from spending xmas with there grandparents and me(for about 4 years now). As for me, my “darkness ” or “dark clouds ” have been a constant for me for the past few weeks. Between my dads cancer spreading (where he requires 2nd round of chemo; the first round did nothing), and my mothers dementia progressing at a rapid pace; all I see is hardship.
After reading this post, I so admire and envy just how you are able to have such optimism. I am in awe of you, truly. All I can see for me, is hassel, obstacles, struggle, hardship and endless darkness. I lose countless days and nights of sleep over all I will be facing and having to deal with . I dont see that elusive “light” that you have found. I just dont know if I ever will. I enjoyed reading your post as always.
Sometimes Stephanie you cannot wait for things to happen. You have to make things happen. Think about what you want for you and then take tiny steps to see how you can achieve it. I do sympathize and it has taken me a log time to attain my philosophy. I hope it will not take as long for you as you are in such a low place at this time. It has to be your decision to cultivate a positive attitude.
My heart goes out to you.
May 2020 be a positive year for you and yours.
Paula
Wishing you, Bert, and family a wonderful new year. As I read your posts, I think of some words that I TRY to start and live out my day. I don’t know who wrote them, but I try to practice one line each day.
Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good…
Make peace with your past so it doesn’t screw up your present…
Its never too late to have a happy childhood, but the second one is up to you and no one else…
Life isn’t tied with a bow but it’s still a gift…
Take care my friend. Wishing you ALL THE BEST
Glennor
Hey…I think I have seen these words too but no idea anymore who wrote them either. They make for a wonderful life philosophy. You are doing what we all can do ‘try’. It is the journey that matters not the outcome and soon you will realize that there is an outcome and it is named success.
Hugs and all good wishes for a positive 2020.
So glad your Christmas experiment turned out well. I’ve been thinking of you. And thanks for your encouraging message for 2020. Let us all look to the light, indeed.
Still feeling the warmth of the very successful experiment.
Hugs.
What a beautiful post! Thank you, Paula. Yes, I am sure the new year and the new decade will be filled with both light and dark. Somehow the world will get through it all.
Happy New Year and best wishes to you and your family!
Lovely to hear from you.
The world does seem to muddle through doesn’t it? Just hope that there is bit more smooth sailing this year.
Echoing your kind wishes with love to you and yours.