Clean Slate

I cannot tell you how good it felt to start the New Year. It felt like the exhalation of a breath I’d been holding for months. It was the turning of a new leaf, a starting over, the turning of a page. A clean slate. 

The end of last year was so hard for me. There were times when I didn’t know if I’d make it through. I knew things would change with the coming year. I looked forward to it with every fiber of my being. My mindset going into the New Year was that I was ready for change. I was open for the lessons and opportunities that lay ahead.

On New Years Day, 12:01am, my neighborhood reverberated with sounds of celebratory gunfire that rang through the air. Neighbors in my building blew noise makers and horns in celebration. My cats, Jazz and Blues, were unnerved by the strange sounds that they’d never heard before. It was as if they thought there to be a herd of elephants in the hallway. The cats were more scared of the noise makers and horns than the gunfire. 

Since the New Year began, there have been great changes for friends of mine. A few weeks ago, an acquaintance of mine passed away from leukemia. Their loss was deeply felt by a friend of mine, who was a closer friend to that person. Another friend of mine received a life changing diagnosis. I pray for them, and for my acquaintance that passed.

One of the key lessons I’ve brought into this year is gratitude. My life is incredibly blessed. I am truly thankful for all I have been given. I’m grateful for the lessons learned, and for my personal growth. I feel like a caterpillar in a cocoon, transforming into a butterfly. I’m thankful to be given the task.

Welcome 2024. I hope we have a great time this year. I look forward to the lessons and opportunities to come.

Welcome. Namaste. Peace.