Happy New Year: Counting My Blessings

 
Photo by  Kostiantyn Li via unsplash.com

Yesterday, I was returning home from vacation and the whole dislike for waiting rooms and the existential dread of yet another year ending, with the reminder of all our forever dissatisfactions sent me off on spiral of longing and wishes. Which is fine, I guess. After all, this blog is where I come to think aloud. And two things can be true at the same time. You can love yourself and your life and still feel the pang of all that you haven't found yet. But today, on the first day of the year , I want to remember all the good things that happened.

I had three wonderful vacations. True, there were canceled and delayed flights and mad rushes and sleepless nights at the airports but where would the stories come from without these? And there were beauties, and long bus rides broken with song and afternoon soirees after mad days at work.

I had a frantic summer at work, but I am glad I could share the load with people I love spending time with. Because of them, even if I hated the mind-numbing data recycling, I found things to laugh about in the midst of it. And if we were angry or frustrated or tired, we were angry or frustrated or tired together. 

Birthdays feel increasingly foreboding these days, twenty-four hours of mild high borne on Facebook and WhatsApp wishes, followed by inevitable letdown of vague hopes for miracles, but nevertheless, this year was good because of my wonderful parents who decided to make me feel special. And all it took was a bunch of balloons around the house. We all like to be kids sometimes.

Yeah, sure, I could do with more listeners for my music. But the important thing is, I can write. A new song shaping up is an absolute joy and I am grateful for those moments of inspiration. Guess I will go write some more now.

Happy New Year. I hope you all find things (and people) to be grateful about in 2023. I leave you with a funny poem from Brian Bilston and a lovely message from Neil Gaiman, both about the New Year.





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