I don't know about you, but 2023 went FAST. Not always in the best ways, but in the end, we got through them. For myself, I had this ideal vision of what the year would hold, personally and professionally. Today, on 12/31, I can tell you it looks nothing like my vision. In some cases, for the better, and in others… just different. Not bad, not ok, just different.
Facing 2024, I have a new confidence in myself, although the nerves certainly come through when thinking about the future. Will I be enough? Will I be able to do it all? But I do know that in the end, it will have changed me…. always for the positive.
Tomorrow is New Year's Day. January 1, 2024. A Monday. What a perfect "Start".
A friend of mine asked me what my "word" was going to be for this year. After sitting with it for a little while, mine is "BRAVE". Why? Because I have big dreams and goals and need to be visible. For someone who is an extroverted introvert, this isn't something instinctual to me. My family would tell you otherwise. But sitting behind the screen or being out and about running into friends, is just normal. Marketing myself and what I have to offer others… different level!
But as I spoke to one of my favorite hostesses at my fave breakfast place, the fears she had at her first semester in college were really no different. Mine was business, but hers was everything! Finding friends, learning to be independent, getting the most out of her eduction…. different than mine, but the same feelings. She hugged me and knew I was cheering her on.
Having a senior and freshman in high school, their worries couldn't be more different! My son, a freshman, is just focusing on grades and fitting in. He's doing well thanks to Marching Band… I think I'm more nervous than he is. My daughter, the senior, is more concerned about the next steps. Waiting for college acceptances, making decisions and knowing that next year will be completely different.
And as a mom, I know everything in 2024 will be new to us. I echo my daughter's fears of the next chapter, just in different ways. And for the record, no matter what school will accept my daughter, she's going to be amazing at it. I will struggle more at home, not having my built-in-best-friend here. She worked on Christmas Day and our usual Christmas morning chaos waited until evening. What a weird feeling. My darling husband had to remind me that we're in the next phase of parenting. I'm just glad I can hold onto my son for a little longer!
So today, the last day of 2023, reflect on the year. Prepare yourself to move into the journey that is titled "2024". Love those teens, even when they make it hard! That's when they need you the most!
