REnewal. ReNEWal. RenewAL. Interesting to me why we westerners choose January First as a day that we believe our lives will be renewed. I get that it’s the beginning of a new year and we say goodbye to the old one. That gives us a chance to reflect on the past and hope for a better future for ourselves. I look on facebook and every post I see is how much people hated 2016 (15 before that, 14 before that, 1999 before that!) and are looking forward to a better 2017. I think though, it would behoove most, to look at the opportunities that were presented to us, decide if we dealt with them accordingly, did we learn from them, did we find joy in them. Sometimes the hardest part of our lives are the ones we should relish the most because we had a great opportunity to grow from it. Sometimes we forget the good that came with all the bad and to find gratitude for those moments.
No, I think it best that we say “thank you” to 2016 for all it provided, the good, the bad and the ugly. We must always look forward to the future and renewal isn’t something we should strive for but more for more growth in 2017. With growth, comes strife. I promised myself after my fathers passing earlier this month that I was going to approach every situation with grace and a non reactive state. I’ve spent way too many years being angry and reactive. In a sense, I suppose I will have a bit of renewal. I wasn’t always so reactive and angry, so I intend to renew that part of me, Christie Martin, that relished every bit of life. Laughed all the time, appreciated everyone around me, and woke up happy every day. I want her back. Yesterday as I drove to an appointment a couple of hours away I had time by myself to reflect and think about my dad which is very painful. I talked aloud to my dad and I promised him no more sadness in his death. He has been restored to his former glory without dementia and I, too, will restore myself in his honor. I promised to make him proud and raise a daughter that would make him proud. I promised him that his girls would make him proud.
Renewal to me, is actually quite important to me this year in particular. I don’t look back on the last year as horrible though, like I see so many others do. It was difficult, lonely and very sad the last few months of it watching my father slowly slip away. I know, however, that 2017 will bring love, joy, happiness, strength, and yes, renewal.
So, happy New Year everyone, and cheers to a renewed state.
Christie 