December often brings thoughts of twinkling lights, festive nostalgia, and a calm close to the year. However, life doesn’t always align with such expectations. This year has been one of complexity—filled with loss, uncertainty, and an ever-growing list of responsibilities. As the calendar turns, it feels essential to reflect on this journey and what it has revealed.
Selling a Home: The Emotional and Practical Challenge
Selling a home is much more than arranging paperwork or staging rooms; it is a deeply emotional process. Each choice—from repainting walls to setting a price—seems weighted with meaning. Will the next occupants feel the love embedded in these spaces? Can they appreciate the life that unfolded here?
This home is more than bricks and mortar. It has been a backdrop to laughter, tears, and countless everyday moments that make up a life. Letting go is not just about moving on; it’s about acknowledging the end of a chapter, making room for the new while honoring the past.
Charlie’s Journey: Finding Strength in Vulnerability
In parallel, my brother-in-law Charlie’s battle with cancer has been a profound reminder of the fragility and resilience of life. Even amidst unimaginable challenges, Charlie’s humor and spirit remain unbroken. Conversations with him alternate between shared laughter and the unspoken weight of what’s to come.
Charlie’s experience underscores the importance of presence—being truly there for the people we love. His journey, while deeply painful, also brings moments of beauty and connection, teaching us to treasure the here and now.
My Mum’s First Year Without Dad
Meanwhile, my mum has spent her first year navigating life without my dad. Witnessing her adjust to this new reality is both heartbreaking and humbling. Her grief is a reminder that loss isn’t something we conquer but something we learn to live alongside.
Each small triumph she achieves—a smile, a lighter moment, a fond recollection—reflects her incredible resilience. While the shadow of loss remains, time begins to soften its edges, offering glimpses of hope amid the sorrow.
Leadership Changes: Navigating Uncertainty
The professional front has also been a source of tension. Come January, a new, relatively inexperienced supervisor will take the reins. My gut tells me there will be challenges, as inexperience often brings missteps. Still, there’s potential for growth—for both him and the team. Leadership is as much about learning as it is about leading, and adaptability will be key.
Whether this transition becomes an opportunity for innovation or simply a test of patience, one certainty remains: change always brings lessons.
The Missing Magic of the Holidays
Despite my best efforts, this year’s holiday season lacked its usual warmth. The rituals were there—decorations, music, even favorite holiday treats—but the intangible “Christmas feeling” never arrived. Perhaps the weight of the year simply overpowered the season’s magic.
As Hogmanay approaches, I’m not expecting a grand shift in mood. Yet, maybe in the quieter moments of reflection, the essence of the season—gratitude, connection, and hope—can still be found.
The Complex Terrain of Perimenopause and ADHD
On a personal level, perimenopause has brought its own share of challenges. The hormonal shifts are disorienting, and for someone with a genetic risk of blood clots, hormone therapy isn’t an option. This adds an extra layer of unpredictability to an already tumultuous phase of life.
Compounding this is my ADHD, which demands constant mental juggling. Medication, ruled out due to my prolonged QTc interval, isn’t an option, leaving me to navigate an unfiltered stream of thoughts on my own. While exhausting, this whirlwind is part of what makes me, me.
Gratitude and the Moments That Matter
Amid the trials, there have been moments of profound gratitude. My family remains my anchor, offering unwavering support. I’m also thankful for our two weeks in Italy this summer—a rare opportunity to escape, indulge in breathtaking scenery, and create lasting memories.
As I look ahead to 2025, my goal is simple: to embrace the fullness of life’s spectrum—its joys, sorrows, challenges, and triumphs. If this year has taught me anything, it’s that life’s beauty lies not in its predictability but in its resilience and capacity to surprise.
And all of you out there, especially Lise and Sussi, I love you you bits!
I have wine to sip and tellie to watch.
/L