Every new year is a time for reflection and hope, offering a fresh chapter in our lives. A chance to pause, reflect, and reimagine the road ahead. A time to celebrate the victories of the past year, learn from its challenges, and embrace new possibilities. An opportunity to start a new year with intention, cultivate joy in everyday moments, and turn dreams into actionable goals.

With that in mind, I’m sharing my reflections and lessons learned last year. My fellow bloggers will also share their thoughts, so be sure to check back as links are added.

Hopefully, our honest answers will inspire you to view your own experiences through a lens of learning and possibilities. If desired, please join me and answer the following questions so you can embrace your own personal growth, take stock of moments of joy, make plans to live life more fully, and welcome the future with hope and purpose.

Why not try to make this year our most meaningful yet—together? Here’s to new beginnings and boundless opportunities!

Okay, let’s get started…

How would you describe 2024 in one word?

Transformative.

If I had three words – it might be “wake-up call.”

Before I begin, let’s just say my husband, Scott, and I are like a lot of boomers. By that I mean, for the most part, we were skipping through life forgetting that we’re actually getting old.

Age is just a number, was our philosophy. The joy of living comes from embracing every moment with curiosity, passion, and a sense of adventure. Instead of focusing on our age, we focused on what made us feel alive. This allowed us to keep dreaming, trying new things, and enjoying life’s simple pleasures.

Sure, our bodies reminded us occasionally that we were getting older – my hips, hubby’s knees, and our backs ached. We chuckled that it was shocking how words like “Social Security,” “Medicare,” and “Senior Discount” were in our vocabulary now.

Even then, we resisted the thought that the mid-60s were old. We were relatively healthy and proud when doctors asked what medications we were taking. We could proudly say, “None.” Pretty good for our age, we thought.

What changed?

What was your biggest challenge last year? What life lesson did you learn from the experience that you’ll take with you into the new year?

Last year was sobering.

Keeping it honest, we had skipped a couple of annual doctor visits after moving to the beach. Never a good idea at our age. When we finally went, we discovered Scott had high blood pressure and diabetes. At one point, on a stressful day, his blood pressure spiked to 188/115 which was scary high. Then, after a heart scan, it was discovered that Scott had a substantial amount of plaque in his arteries and a 75% chance of having a heart attack in the next 10 years. Add to that, an aneurysm in one of his arteries that doctors will need to watch.

Stay with me. There’s more. Later, Scott had a severe infection with three kinds of bacteria in his bladder – including sepsis. At one point, his white blood count was so high they thought sepsis may be in his blood – a life-threatening condition. Thankfully, further testing showed that was not the case. Finally, they discovered a fistula (tunnel between his bladder and colon) that was causing multiple bladder infections which required a five-hour surgery and four days in the hospital.

Although not as serious, I didn’t get away scot free (pun!). A large painful ulceration on the roof of my mouth wasn’t healing, so my dentist recommended an oral surgeon. The dentist didn’t say mouth cancer, but mentioned I may need a biopsy. I told hubby that I wouldn’t go down the rabbit hole and Google mouth cancer, but of course, I did. However, it turned out the ulceration was caused by a large bone deformity in the roof of my mouth (tori) I’ve had all my life. It was stretching my palate too thin so that sharp edged foods were puncturing the roof of my mouth. He strongly encouraged that we remove the bone along with the ulceration. Think mini jackhammer (yes, I was numb but very awake) which left a large hole that took months to heal. Not fun! Health wise, my numbers were good. However, a bone density test revealed I have osteopenia (a precursor of osteoporosis). Calcium and Vitamin D supplements for me.

Then there was our aging fathers. My 92-year-old father took a couple of falls, was in a car accident, and was recently diagnosed with prostrate cancer.  My 85-year-old father-in-law also fell, lost circulation in one of his legs that required stents,  and had part of his foot amputated. At the time of this writing, he is still in rehab.

On top of that, our dog, Max, is 15 years old now and has his own issues.

Can you relate? If you or your loved ones faced a year marked by health challenges, you probably discovered that these experiences, although difficult, can offer powerful lessons about life, resilience, and connection.

Here are some things I learned:

• This lesson is obvious: Health is precious and should never be taken for granted. The health scares inspired us to prioritize our health and well-being. For starters, Scott lost 22 pounds and is out of the diabetic range now. And we won’t be skipping annual checkups anymore.
• The experience deepened my appreciation for my loving 46-year marriage and the close family bonds I’m privileged to have.
• I was reminded how fleeting life can be. This highlighted the importance of cherishing every moment, being truly present with my loved ones, and constantly expressing my love.
• Typically, I have a hard time accepting help. The experience taught me that leaning on God and others – family and friends – is essential during tough times.
• I was reminded of life’s unpredictability. Life can quickly change and it’s important to adapt to unexpected challenges with grace and determination.
• Self-care matters. Supporting loved ones can be draining. It highlighted the need to take care of myself – spiritually, mentally, physically, and emotionally – to remain strong for others.
• My husband’s surgery was scheduled the same month my book was published and both of our fathers were hospitalized during that time. Many of my book launching plans were set aside. And you know what? It didn’t matter at all. When a loved one faces health challenges, it helps us focus on what truly matters.
• Witnessing our loved ones struggles can deepen compassion and empathy – not just for them but for others facing hardships.

In the end, it’s important to remember that life lessons, although hard, can give you a deeper appreciation for life, love, and resilience in the years to come.

So, yes, we had to face the fact that we’re getting older. But we’re still young at heart! Because life isn’t measured by the calendar but by the moments that make us feel happy. Despite these challenges, we’re gonna keep right on skipping through life – okay, maybe not as robustly or gracefully as we used to. Let’s face it, some days it’s more of a shuffle-skip, or a hop-and-hope. But hey, it’s the attitude that counts, right?

Describe the happiest day of 2024. What can you do to have more days like that in 2025?

While we had challenges last year, there were also many happy moments.

For example, remember all the fuss about a total eclipse in April of last year? To be honest, seeing the total eclipse was not at the top of my bucket list. It seemed like a lot of hype and fuss for a few brief minutes of watching the Moon block the Sun.

But I have two sons who are nerds and have been looking forward to seeing the eclipse for years. We all live in different parts of California, nowhere near the “path of totality.” So, we all planned a trip together to see the total eclipse. We traveled to Missouri and risked unpredictable weather conditions. Was witnessing the spectacle worth it?

A resounding and enthusiastic yes!

As I describe in my blog, I was not prepared for what I saw and the sight was nothing like I had pictured in my head. As totality neared, the sky began to darken, temperatures dropped, and the street lights turned on. That much I expected. Suddenly, the view was completely dark through my glasses. I heard my family yell, “Take off your glasses!” As other people did so as well, gasps, cheering, and shouts of awe and wonder could be heard.

In a breathtaking moment, the last sliver of sunlight vanished and the corona – an indescribable, brilliantly white, powerful, wispy, ethereal halo – emerged. Normally invisible against the brilliance of the Sun, its intricate streamers had a fluid movement. A few solar flares appeared. It looked surreal, like something out of a sci-fi movie. I’ve never seen anything remotely close to it.

For about four and a half minutes, we stared in amazement at one of nature’s most spectacular displays.

In the end, I was eternally grateful, my sons talked me into this rare opportunity to have a fleeting glimpse of the eclipse’s spectacular beauty and the marvels of the universe. I am so happy that we could share this profound, spiritual, deeply moving, and unforgettable experience together as a family.

To have more happy moments like that this year, we’ll be planning new adventures for our next family trip!