Sunday Sentiments

 

I’ve been working hard on dreams and goals for the year to come. I’ve been evaluating the year behind me and daring to dream for the year ahead. I set aside most of yesterday to work on this, and one of the things I read about was a suggestion to take a moment to grieve things that didn’t turn out the way you hoped or dreamed in the year about to end.

            I almost dismissed it. Grieve things in a year that was filled with so much more good than bad? It seemed almost unkind.

            But I think it does matter.

            I thought of some dreams that crashed and burned. I thought of hard work that had to end. I thought of almost-changes that didn’t end up happening. Even if all those things were okay (or even right and good) it doesn’t mean there isn’t grief involved. It doesn’t mean they didn’t hurt.

            Sometimes saying goodbye to a year means saying goodbye to the things IN that year. And goodbyes aren’t always easy, even if they’re necessary.

            So I decided I would allow it. I will grieve the things that were hard in this year. I will be grateful that God shut the doors – for whatever reason – but I will allow myself to feel and heal from the hurt they brought.

            Yes, I know we still have a whole month left in this year. I’ll need it to keep sorting through all that happened and all that didn’t…and all I hope to see in the year to come.

            It’s been a good year, this 2023. I’m grateful for all of it. But I’m especially grateful for the permission I found in that little suggestion!