Embracing the New Year: Balancing Time and Life!
Christmas Day has gone, done, dusted, over! Boxing Day followed right behind it, enjoyed briefly and then gone without so much as a goodbye. And now here we are, embracing the New Year. Actually, let me be honest, New Year’s Eve has already been and gone. New Year’s Day too, and suddenly we are fully launched into a brand-new year whether we are ready or not.
Whoever said time flies was absolutely right, because honestly, it feels less like flying and more like sprinting past me while I am still putting away the Christmas tree decorations. In fact I only did that a few days back, but it already feels like a lifetime ago!
I had an amazingly busy Christmas holiday period. It was filled with children and grandchildren, dogs underfoot, far too much food, lively games, card games, television movies and, of course, beach trips. After all, you cannot spend Christmas in a coastal town and not head to the beach!
That said, this particular beach visit came with a twist. The beach was closed due to dangerous surf conditions… and sharks. Yes, sharks. That was the first for me. Apparently, nothing says “festive season” quite like swapping a relaxing Christmas swim for a shark warning and a firm reminder that sometimes it is nice to just admire the ocean from a safe distance. The local public pool quickly became a favourite attraction, enjoyed immensely by all, and for me, the best part? Not a single grain of sand left on my floors!
I must admit that the joy of spending Christmas Day with young children definitely amplifies that magical feeling of the season. Although, being woken by our eight-year-old granddaughter bursting with energy and practically vibrating with excitement at the sight of Santa’s handiwork, after my few precious hours of sleep on the couch was… a little hard to take. I opened one eye to see the clock reading not quite 5 a.m.! At that moment, “Christmas magic” felt suspiciously like “Christmas alarm clock.”
But it was so much fun.
The excitement, the laughter, and the food (including copious amounts of beautifully cooked dishes courtesy of my son and daughter-in-law) made this Christmas Day period truly special. Time together before Christmas, time at Christmas, and precious family moments after Christmas, even the few stolen hours over breakfast with my daughter, which involved a very committed one-hour drive each way and a very busy shopping centre, were all deeply treasured.
By the end of it all, I was completely exhausted, the good kind, the kind that requires an early bedtime, very little conversation and absolutely no decision-making. And yet, I loved every minute of having my family around me. The noise, the chaos, the constant movement, and even the tiredness were all part of the happiness. Each night I fell into bed weary and hugging my pillow like an old friend, but deeply grateful, reminding me that this particular brand of exhaustion is really just love in disguise!
And now, the New Year has settled in. My husband has gone back to work, the house has been cleaned from top to bottom (evidence that Christmas holidays with the family really did happen). I have caught up with close friends over coffee, enjoyed my first church service of the year, and now I’m finally sitting down to write this blog. Life, it seems, has quietly slipped back into its normal routine. Maybe a little calmer, and a little tidier! Well, for now anyway!
As I sit here thinking about the year ahead, I am realizing we are already four days into the New Year. I glance at my upcoming calendar and wonder who gave January permission to fill up so quickly. Appointments have marched themselves into place, commitments have booked ahead without consulting me, and somehow the rest of the year is already queuing politely behind it, tapping its watch.
These changing calendar entries in front of me holds two things at once: a sense of ending and the promise of a beginning. This is both comforting and confronting, a reminder that ‘time wastes no time at all’, and that once again I will need to be intentional about what I say yes to, what I hold lightly, and where I leave space simply to breathe.
So, before I allow myself to be swept along by my future commitments and plans, I need to stop, sit down, and look back at what has been.
Reflecting on the past year, I can see just how full it has been. Not always in the neat or orderly way I might have preferred, but full nonetheless, in fact, very full. And interestingly, I didn’t plan it that way; it simply happened.
Like the family from overseas visit, which although lasted only a short while, there were plenty of adventures, including climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge! (Not me! Far too high for my liking!) And a dinner cruise on the Harbour. Two experiences for someone terrified of heights and who hates boats on open water. But despite a few short, extremely busy days, it was a wonderful opportunity to learn more about my husband’s side of the family… and to cheer on everyone else preferably from the safety of solid ground.
By the time both Marc’s family visits and our January adventures with the grandchildren had ended, and the house had returned to its normal chaos-free state (well, mostly), work and life in general swooped back in. Then we were off on our next adventure. A four-week overseas trip, carefully planned and prepared for over quite some time.
Do you know that just like that, it vanished in the blink of an eye. Did we try to see absolutely everything possible, cramming more into our holiday than seems humanly reasonable? Probably. Or did time simply decide to sprint ahead while I stood there blinking, luggage in hand, wondering where it had gone? I suspect it flew by without even bothering to give me a seatbelt or stopping to offer me a coffee or even a warning that my calendar would soon need help!
Home again and work soon beckoned, with many regional and interstate accreditation visits to medical practices and ongoing medical and obstetric duties. Then, just as life likes to do, we were back on the road once again. This time on a short Australian road trip, complete with the dog (who took his supervisory role very seriously). Kilometres rolled by in long stretches of open road, punctuated by essential coffee stops, familiar and new landmarks, and the kind of conversations that only happen when there is nowhere else to be but the two of us together.
All roads eventually led to and from a very special destination. A 90th birthday celebration, where stories were retold, laughter flowed freely, and three generations, along with friends, gathered to honour a well lived life. It was a reminder that sometimes the greatest gift isn’t just the milestone itself, but the shared journey that brings everyone there.
Home. More work placements, hospital rosters, continuing twice-weekly visits to my aging mother, birthday celebrations, wonderful grandchildren’s stays, and trips to Sydney, Brisbane, and Armidale with friends and family kept the calendar delightfully full. And I must not forget my absolutely terrifying bicycle adventure in New Zealand where every height, edge, and questionable wobble tested my courage, my balance, and my ability to look calm while internally negotiating my will to live. Let me just say I have learned that bravery comes in small doses… and preferably on four wheels. Or at least on completely flat, calm surfaces where riding is actually a pleasure!
In truth, the whole of last year was a flat-out, extremely busy period. So busy, in fact, that I reflected on it in my first Christmas blog, wondering like many others, “Where has the year gone?!” It often felt like life was moving at double speed. And that’s before we even mention the elusive quest for a few simultaneous decent night’s sleep! Somehow, Marc and I did manage to carve out a little time for ourselves, usually spent huddled over our diaries, comparing schedules, and asking each other, “What day is it again?” By the end of it, I wasn’t sure if we were finding time for ourselves or just desperately trying to locate it in the calendar before it ran off completely.
And then it was Christmas.
The Old Year had gone!
The New Year has begun!
Wow!
Do you know that like many others, every year, without fail, I make simple New Year’s resolutions. Nothing extravagant but earnest promises to exercise more, eat better, declutter the house, read all the books I’ve been meaning to, play my piano and sing more, or finally learn that new skill I’ve been dreaming about. You know the ones I mean! And, yes, every year, somewhere between January 4th and the first appointment, my resolutions quietly dissolve into thin air. They don’t fail with fanfare or shame. They simply vanish, replaced by everyday life, urgent tasks, and the irresistible lure of comfort.
Yet even though my good intentions often disappear in a blink, the start of a new year always remains a gentle reminder that every ending brings a beginning, and every beginning carries the promise of growth, connection, and new memories. I envision that my New Year stretches ahead like a blank page, daring me to dream, plan, and maybe even surprise myself along the way. Full of organized events definitely, yet also full of fresh, unwritten possibilities.
But as I look ahead to this year before me, I will be honest and cannot help but wonder how time will go. Will it slowly move this year at a more leisurely pace, or will it insist on racing past at the same relentless pace as last year. Already, I can feel the vibration of a busy life returning. Of appointments, plans and projects, family gatherings, commitments, little things that somehow become big things and travel adventures yet to be had.
So I have decided that alongside the busyness and bustle that will inevitably arrive, my ‘new’ new year resolutions, is to focus on some simple, meaningful things. This year coming, I hope to carve out more time for the people I love, even when life threatens to sweep me along in its usual whirlwind. I want to savour quiet morning coffees without glancing at my calendar or checking my phone. I want to linger in conversations that make me laugh until my cheeks ache.
I want to go on walks or rides with my husband that remind me just how big, beautiful, and occasionally baffling the world can be. I want to share space with my best friend and simply enjoy our friendship for what it is. I hope to embrace my year ahead and maybe, just maybe, finally figure out which day of the week it actually is before it disappears… and preferably without having to ask my husband!
How will I go? I really don’t know! I am not sure any of that will happen. But right now at this point of writing, I am hopefully stepping into my New Year with open eyes, a hopeful heart, and just enough sense of humour to survive whatever it decides to throw my way. And yes, I will have to be ready for the chaos that inevitably sneaks in, because no year is complete without a few surprises, or the occasional unplanned adventure.
So tell me, what is your own plan for this New Year ahead?
Are your resolutions still behaving themselves, or have they quietly slipped out the back door while you weren’t looking? Maybe your “exercise more” promise has taken an unplanned holiday, your “eat better” goal is hiding behind a chocolate cake, and your “learn that new skill” ambition is plotting its escape in a quiet corner. Are you bravely sticking to your decisions, or quietly hoping no one notices that a few have already vanished? Perhaps you’re determined to tackle the year with gusto? Or maybe, at this point, you are simply trying to survive January without losing your sense of humour.
I suppose we are both walking “into the unknown,” as the song goes.
Who knows how it will all pan out?
But let’s make a promise to check back in and see how we both went! By then, we might find that some of our resolutions have behaved surprisingly well, quietly ticking along in the background and even exceeding our expectations. A few, of course, will have gone completely rogue, doing whatever they pleased while we weren’t looking. And then there will be the ones that team up in the most unexpected ways, leading us down adventures we never saw coming. There will be those moments that will make us laugh, scratch our heads, or shake our fists in disbelief.
If nothing else, we’ll at least have a good story to tell and a hearty laugh about how the year tried to keep up with us… or how we tried, sometimes desperately, to keep up with the year! And somewhere in all of that chaos, in the wins, the missteps, and the delightful surprises, we’ll find small glimpses of joy, growth, and peace and perhaps a reminder that life is never quite as orderly as we plan. But that’s often exactly what makes it worth it.
Have a wonderful Happy New Year!