Every year has its ups and downs, and mine was filled with them for sure. But life has a way of bringing goodness out of the most dire circumstances, especially when one is hopeful and optimistic. In January of this year, I chose Grateful as my Word of the Year, and I can say it’s been a year filled with much gratitude in many ways. To prove it to you (and to myself), I thought I’d take time to list exactly what I am grateful this year.

My mother: For a few years now, my mom has been suffering from Alzheimer’s and declining in strength. She has been focused on how unhappy she is in her latest living space and how much she needs back surgery (a fourth one) to alleviate her pain. Otherwise though, she is a very happy person trying to make the most out of an ordinary day, being silly, and enjoying the little things in life. I couldn’t ask to be born to a different mom. I have learned so much from her life with my dad, before with her parents, and since – she as a grandmother and me a mother and now grandmother, as well. I’m so grateful I have more years with her and only pray that we get more time to visit and share our stories of life and love with one another.

My husband: I prayed for the husband that I have today. I was single and had dated enough to know what I did not want in a life-long partner. Of course, I got more than I bargained for in some ways. But what I did get was a man who has been strong enough to meet my strong (obstinate is more accurate) personality, been loyal to me, supported me not just monetarily but in my clerical administration career and my writing journey, as well. And he has made sure I’ve had the prime parking space at every home we have ever lived. Now, that’s a pretty good deal, if you ask me.

My son: The hardest thing for a loving mother to do is raise her child to live without her. As soon as I had a son, I knew the day would come when he would leave our home and start a new life of his own with a wife and children. Thankfully, the transition wasn’t near as hard as I expected, for there’s just something about having a loving, communicative relationship with your only child. But as things happen, sometimes letting a child go means letting them choose their life in whatever way that means. It’s not an easy thing to do, but it is the right and best thing to do. My prayer is that he never forgets how grateful I am that he is my son and I am his mom, and I wouldn’t change that for the world.

My siblings: I have five sisters and two brothers for which I am grateful for each one. I have a different relationship with each one of them, and I have learned so much from these relationships at different points in our life. Currently, we are not all on speaking terms, not necessarily due to ongoing friction though. It seems a sad thing at this point in our life, as we each had hoped we’d all be together forever. But when one or the other cannot let go of what cannot be changed, one lets go of the other, and here we are. The rest of us are happy to let them live their life on their own. In the meantime, I’m very grateful to be connected today with two sisters and one brother, and his wife whom I consider a sister and good friend. We get together for the holidays, stop by to see each other when passing through, and share memes and reels of all sorts of things from animals to recipes to humor to love.

My friends: I have been blessed to have a wide range of friends, and I am grateful for every single one. I might be shy and an introvert but I’m a talker with the right friend, lol. Sadly, I have lost friends over the years due to lack of communication and to unexpected death. My newest friend is also my co-worker. She is a gem, and I wouldn’t trade her for anything. I feel the same way about my longest friend. She and I spent a weekend earlier this month at the coast in a little town neither one of us have been to and had a grand time.

My pets: It’s funny how life seems so full until you get a pet. And then, you wonder what was life even like without one. Now, we have four pets, all of which were given to us or literally dropped in our laps. Sammie Jolene is our oldest, a long-haired mini Daschund who used to own the place. She’s 12 1/2 years old with the sweetest disposition. She was given to us by our daughter-in-law for Christmas twelve years ago and is my little shadow. Then, there’s Max, a three-year-old mix between a golden lab and mountain cur. He was given to my husband by a good friend of his. In three years, he is ten times his size and only thinks he owns the place. Our next pet, Honey-Bee, is a Cairn Terrier and just over four-years-old. She was given to hubs by one of my sisters on a trial basis almost two years ago and has stolen our hearts. Honey is his shadow and alerts us, along with Max, to anything not belonging on our property. And, finally, there is Socks. This kitten already looks like a full-grown cat but is only six-months-old. He was on the brink of death during the summer when he literally dropped out of the rafters of one of our sheds onto hubs who nursed him to health. He now rules the place pretty good for being the newest kid (kitten) on the block. These pets bring an added joy to our lives and I’m forever grateful for them.

And then, there’s everything else I’m grateful for: my home, truck, bed, Christmas trees, property, and upcoming retirement (less than three years now!). Oh, and let’s not forget my body. My Intention of the Year was Better Fitness and I do believe I’ve done it. I have more every day activity in my life than I’ve had in several years, and I’ve lost 14 solid pounds since July 1st. So, yeah, good news, lol.

I am also very grateful for my spiritual life. In addition to my Word of the Year and Intention of the Year, I chose a Goal of the Year, Kindness, and Phrase of the Year, Stronger in Love, both of which have helped me grow spiritually stronger. These are two areas I have struggled with my whole life as, one, my mother has always told me I’m her kindest child, yet I always felt I fell short of her belief in me, and two, it’s always been hard for me to love people who act unloveable. By choosing Kindness as a life goal, I have been able to understand that we can be kind to others without feeling like it’s some way of measuring how good of a person we are. We’re either kind or we’re not. And it’s okay to be a little kind on some days or a lot kind on other days. As long as we strive to improve on kindness, we will be kinder and kinder as the days and years go by. And by choosing Stronger in Love as my Phrase of the Year, I have been able to show love and be loving to everyone even when they are hard to love. Being a loving person has to do with who we are inside rather than whether someone else deserves our loving or not. To be our authentic self, we can choose to be kind, loving, and grateful.

And so, yes, there’s been a lot of gratefulness going on around here in December and the entire year. It’s been a good year with lots of tears, laughs, joy, some sadness, lots of sun, a little rain, and lots and lots of change and growth. I’m looking forward to 2025 and what it has to bring. I will continue being grateful for all the blessings in my life, and yet I will be choosing a new Word of the Year in January. Tune into my next blog post to learn what that word is! And, if you follow me on Instagram, you will know my word before midnight and the end of 2024.

As you celebrate the closing of 2024, in whatever way is authentic for you – whether it be parties and fireworks or pajamas and a good movie or book, may it bring you peace knowing you did your very best.

And may 2025 bring you the opportunity to begin again afresh, no matter what you need to do, where you need to be, or who you need to be with. Here’s to sharing a toast of friendship, love, and possibility!

Happy New Year!!

Love & hugs, Virg

PS. You can find my first book, Honor One Another: The ABCs to Embracing Our Spirit Within, on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or by requesting it at any library or local bookstore. AND, my second book, It’s Just Your Imagination! The ABCs to Facing Our Fears, will be published in late Spring 2025.