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Monday, January 05, 2015

The First Post of 2015


How did the time go so quickly? It seems mere moments ago that I was signing off here and preparing for a long two week break with both the kids out of school and the husband home from work. I thought it would last forever but it flew by. And here we are in a new year, a new week, and hopefully a new perspective. (More about that later.)

My mind is swimming with what to tell you. How to sum up the past few weeks? Our Christmas was, to be honest, not the best we've ever had. Joy was elusive, the festivity happening around me but not really permeating my heart as I would've liked. The closest I got was the moment in church on Christmas Eve when all the candles were lit and the whole room was singing Silent Night, a quintessential Christmas moment, to be sure. I felt that "thrill of hope" that the season promises, but it was fleeting, sad to say.

Probably the biggest reason I had trouble accessing the joy I wanted to have was the string of illnesses in our house throughout the two weeks. From my daughter's root canal gone horribly, frighteningly wrong to a cold that managed to affect every single one of us, to a sinus infection for me two days before Christmas, to a weird stomach thing, we just couldn't seem to escape illness. And illness, as I'm sure you all are all too familiar with, can really put a damper on things. I know that we weren't the only ones dealing with unexpected and unwelcome health issues this season. It seemed my Facebook page was littered with posts about sickness. So if that was you, my sympathies.

Beyond that things have gone along as expected. The days before Christmas were a flurry of baking and shopping. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were all about family and extended family and some friends too. The days following were recuperation and rest time, and before we knew it we were ringing in a new year. The high point of that evening was Sir Elton performing "I'm Still Standing," on Dick Clark's Rockin Eve. I long ago claimed that as my theme song so that was very special to me, and started out the year on a good note.

Today feels like we're really starting the new year-- the part where we get back into routine, facing the daily grind with a new dateline that promises fresh starts and renewed outlooks. Will we see the same old issues with new eyes? Will we handle things differently just because the calendar page turned? I hope so. It is what I want to be true. Later this week I will be back to share some thoughts on starting a new year, some favorite links from this past two weeks, and whatever else I can come up with.

I hope to see you here then-- and throughout this fine new year.



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1 comment:

Stephanie said...

Ugh! So sorry to hear about the sicknesses. Our family has battled colds, flu, and pinkeye since thanksgiving. I feel like we are finally on the other side of that...so I kind of feel your pain. But it is a new year and I do believe God causes us to have a new perspective because He does intend to do a new thing! Here's hoping your new year is full of health, joy, peace, and happy surprises!