Reflections, 2024

It’s Christmas Eve eve, and also our 40th anniversary, so I am feeling quite reflective about life, love, and the holidays.
Let me start with the obvious – I’ve been married 40 years. It seems longer when he says it, but for me, they flew by. Seriously flew by. In my head, we’re still newlyweds. And of course, that’s not limited to marriage. In my head, I’m still thirty. I can still squat on the floor and stand up without crawling to a chair and using it as a lever. I can still sit in a recliner for hours without falling asleep, even if the show on television is boring. I can still bend over a jigsaw puzzle all evening and stand up straight without pain in my back.
It seems a natural thing then that I would think I’m still thirty in my marriage, as well. At least mentally and emotionally, I am. Those 40 years filled us with adventures and misadventures, dreams come true and nightmares (especially as regards remodeling), and children. They filled us with joy, happiness, unexpected challenges and growth. We are blessed that we grew together and not apart. I pray we get a few dozen or two more years to grow and love.
Life. Wow, the one thing you can’t prepare for is getting older. Life has so many stages, and some of the best ones come when you least expect it. I knew parenthood would be a new life stage. I assumed retirement would be something new and wonderful. But I didn’t realize that small stages would happen and change us. I never expected to be a college instructor, let alone be able to co-teach with my husband, and it was an amazing stage. I never thought I’d be a literacy coach for 8-year-olds, but that was the most fun I ever had at work!
I never believed I’d ever own a horse, but we did. That’s not true. She owned us. We’ve had so many pets, each a part of our family in different ways, and each left prints on our hearts. Racer, the beautiful and very stubbornly stupid Labrador, was raised with our son. Princess, the afore-mentioned horse, was with us only three years, and touched me in ways I never could imagine. Forest, our beloved black Lab, was truly our best friend. I still miss him. Various cats – Cleo, Katie, Effie, Tom, and Limestone – made their ways into our homes and left a legacy of love and cuddles. Well, not Tom. He didn’t cuddle. In fact, he was major pain in the neck – but I sobbed like a child when he left.
Life gives us family, friends, and fur-babies, each and all of which help us navigate the stages and seasons of life. Now that I’m officially “old” (NEVER!), I can honestly say I love the holiday season even more than ever. That’s saying something, because I start counting down to Christmas around…December 27th.
The holiday season is a time when people are a little friendlier. A little nicer. A little more generous. I hope we can keep those sentiments alive and well throughout the year. We need it now, more than ever.
In my last blog post of 2024, I wish each of you a healthy and happy 2025. Regardless of what life – or love – throws your way, I hope you have family, friends, and pets who will help see you through and/or help you celebrate. Remember to celebrate every small blessing. They are really the big events.