Meet the new year, same as the old year
Tuesday, December 31, 2024
It’s New Year’s Eve, and long past the point I should have written a retrospective on the year, but if my journal is any indication, I’m nearly exactly where I was a year ago, and nothing about that is worth celebrating.
That’s not the most depressing opening paragraph I’ve ever written, but it certainly breaks the Top 10, and I hadn’t expected that when I sat down with this morning’s blog post.
It’s the blessing and the curse of a journal habit that makes it possible to go back a year or more when you can see just how deep the rut has become.
Tempted to delete all of this, because I’m conscious of myself as a “brand”, while at the same time noting for myself that vulnerability, as painful as it can be, might be a signpost for someone else’s journey, too.
If you read this and feel inclined to leave a comment like “things will get better” or “chin up” or “thoughts and prayers” please don’t because that’s self-serving and not empathetic and just a knee jerk need to respond when you don’t know what else to say.
I know, I’ve been there, thumbs hovering over the next thing to say in a text after getting someone’s bad news. I used to say something glib, hopeful, maybe an inspirational quote. Now I just opt to let them know I’m here for them, to listen, or just sit in silence because in those moments all we want to know is that we’re not completely alone.