2024 Year in Review- It Was the Best of Times, It Was the OK-est of Times
An area I’d like to grow in is accountability, not particularly in the sense of “I do what I say I will do,” which I hope I’m already decent at, but more in the sense of, “I do what I ought to do,” especially when it comes to promises I’ve made to myself. That’s why I’m writing this and other articles, to hold myself accountable in a very public way.
You can’t know where you’re going if you don’t know where you are, right? So let’s start this journey forward with a look back at what was good and what was just OK in 2024.
There was a lot of Good
I wrote a book!
In 2024 I published my first book, Important Catholic Women of the 20th Century: Stories of Courage and Fear, Unassuming Audacity and Everyday Drudgery, Connected by Faith. That book had been nearly two years in the making by the time it was published. That included more than researching, writing, rewriting, and more rewriting, it also included my own spiritual journey to publish it. Here’s an unexpected discovery I made: it’s terrifying to put something creative like that out in the world - ESPECIALLY when your name is inextricably linked to it. I felt so exposed, so vulnerable, just thinking about it! In fact, when I first began work on the book, my intention was to publish it under a pen name. After all, the goal was to tell the stories of everyday women who persevered in living God-centered lives amidst the business and messiness of life, not to talk about me. I needed role models like that and I thought I probably wasn’t alone. So I should write a book about it, obviously.
But I had this nagging thought - the whole point was to show real women living real lives, and the author was going to be some fictitious person with a made up name? (cue nails on chalkboard)
Well, now we know how the story ends, though it wasn’t short at all. But let’s actually say we know how the story begins, because publishing a book is just the start of another part of the journey. Kind of like catching your next flight after a layover. I can’t wait to see how this whole ‘published author’ thing goes and where it takes me.
Life is good!
There was SO MUCH goodness for me and my family in 2024. My kids are doing great at school and at life, for which I am SO grateful. That doesn’t mean there aren’t bumps in the road, it means that they’re doing what they need to do and kicking hiney while they’re doing it. Best of all, they are awesome people! If someone is looking for a Proud Mama poster child, pick me!
I was also able to spend time with loved ones away from the day-today. How important is that! A change of scenery does wonders for cracking my routines - both physical and mental. It helps change the music playing in my head, which can get stuck on a loop.
So much to be thankful for!
There was a lot of, umm, just OK
I’m not going to say there was a lot of bad in 2024 - I’ve found that good often comes from the most devastating circumstances - so we’re just going to say some things were only OK.
Has " journey" been the key word in this blog? Well, 2024 took me on a significant health journey and dumped the “You’re not 20 years old anymore” message on me like a TON. OF. BRICKS. Really, really heavy bricks. Mega bricks. Not Lego bricks - the big pre-K ones but solid, filled with lead or something extremely heavy.
The funny thing is, it wasn’t even facing my own mortality. Other years have smacked me much harder with the message that life is short. It was wrestling with the fact that I may not always be in perfect health. I may not always be physically able to do most of the things that cross my mind. Basic body functions should not be taken for granted. Nothing can stop you in your tracks quite like, well, YOU. your own body. Ok, me and my own body. I’m still processing this one - how to get older gracefully while still doing everything I can to stay “young” and healthy. But don’t worry - you’re not going to find me out in a crop top. I will wear (mostly) age-appropriate clothing. At least that.
2024 also gave me a LOT of opportunities to learn how to handle uncertainty in different aspects of my life. How do you keep going when it’s not clear where you’re headed? In this respect, the past year seemed to be the culmination of many lessons learned over the years, like you’re not going to live forever and neither are the people you love, gratitude can mitigate despair, and many others. I was given many opportunities to live these lessons - not just know them. I have a friend who talks about head knowledge vs. heart knowledge. Let me tell you, that 12 inch or so journey from head to heart of H.A.R.D. It’s a work in progress. I’m a work in progress.
So there you have it. The good and the OK. As I’ve reflected on what to write here, the message that came across was being present - today, now. Today is a gift, and I’m grateful to get to experience it in some way with you.