I am so ready for a new year’s transformations! My previous post described my diagnosis of Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis that I received early in 2023. After that I was given a presumptive diagnosis of Celiac. These both required big, and permanent, lifestyle changes. All of that was followed by an injury that required months of recovery and physical therapy…! I had little idea what to expect last year, other than the process of grieving. I hadn’t foreseen that the process of grieving would include such health issues, but it’s not quite a rare thing for grief and loss to usher in seemingly new physical issues. It has made me wonder how much of it was kind of being put on hold (er, ignored?), until the year after my dad’s death opened up to me.

A cautious welcome to 2024

And now it’s 2024, and I’m facing the new year with caution, but with optimism as well. Lest anyone think I’m “living in fear,” I want to just put out there that the years previous to this one were immensely difficult much of the time! I mean, there were of course many great times and happy moments. Because of those difficult years, I’m feeling a little gun-shy. I’m a little hesitant to fully relax, and a bit skeptical of anything that promises ease.

A festival of lights, and a sign of change

I did finish out 2023 with a great Christmas spent with my favorite people. My husband and I also did a few local things that my dad would have loved. These events were pretty uplifting and healing. Above is a photo taken from one of the events… Living in northern Vermont, we enjoy getting to Shelburne Museum when we can (and it’s a place my dad particularly liked as well). We were able to get over there for their tremendous outdoor Winter Lights exhibit, which was truly beautiful and inspiring. There were elements that were exciting, and elements that were very serene and brought peace to the heart. The above pic is of a butterfly made of lights. It is one of the simpler exhibits from the festival, but nicely illustrates the feeling of gentle transformation that is possible now, in this new year.

A happy new year to you!

I hope however you closed out 2023, you are able to look ahead to a wondrous new year. Thanks as always for visiting, and please reach out with any questions or comments.
~ Nellie