IT'S THE SMALL THINGS

Twenty twenty-three. What a year. It tried. It tested. But, it also triumphed. If I were to summarize what it has been to me, I would need to borrow the words of Charles Dickens: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” Suffice to say, all is well that ends well, and if there is anything 2023 was to me, it was the year of the highest of highs, and the lowest of lows.

The peaks were pinnacles, and the lows were deep dark valleys. If there is anything I learned this year, it is that no storm lasts forever. And in order to get by, we just need to learn to dance in the rain. That our strength and resilience is measured in how we are able to cope, and we must accept that ultimately, things will turn out in the way destined for us, and not always in the way we expect. That true faith means surrendering fully to a higher power and accepting that despite our human desire to control everything, His will, will always be done.

And that if we find it in ourselves to still be grateful amidst the bitter, and most trying of times, we too shall be rewarded. Perhaps, the stronger the storm, the greater the outpour of blessings after as well. God’s timing is always perfect, and no matter how much plans we make, we have to learn to let go gracefully to give way to what He has planned for us. Trials broaden our perspectives in a different manner. They show us that maybe sometimes the mundane we complain about is perhaps the comfort we seek, and we wish to return to when the going gets tough. Another reminder to view our cups as half full everyday, and that in all things, we must give thanks.

If there is anything I am now most certain of, it is that indeed, nothing lasts forever — the good times, and the bad. That the only constant in this world is change, and in order to evolve and become better human beings, we must adapt, and accept change in order to grow. This year is also one I am grateful for in that it truly showed me who will wither through the weakness with me, and just not appear in the sunnier days. Those are the friends and the people we choose to keep near. It was also a raring revelation of characters and true colors, and that despite the deep hurts, wounds heal, but scars and scabs are the learnings that will remain within us forever. And there is nothing wrong with that, for as long as we emerge out of experiences with growth, and as better, more compassionate and kinder human beings.

Happy New Year, one and all – family, friends and readers! May 2024 bring us bigger and brighter blessings, and may only God’s best abound.