Most years, I’ve sat down to write on New Year’s Eve, and then again on New Year’s Day. I usually write two separate pieces, taking an “out with the old,” and “in with the new,” approach. This year, I’m not sure, as I begin writing at 5:31pm on 12/31/22 whether or not that will pan out. I suppose we shall see. If you’re reading, you’re on this ride with me. Keep your arms and legs inside the vehicle at all times. Secure all lose items. I assume no responsibility for lost property.

2022 was a bit of a wild ride. Does that sound familiar? Is it because you were also on a wild ride this year, or do I say this every year, and you’ve read my New Year’s Eve posts? Either way, it undeniably was, and not just for me and my family. I can talk a bit about our year. It started with a bang. To be 100% accurate, we kicked it all off slightly before the beginning of 2022 by being involved in a car accident in which one of our cars was totaled…then we flew to Maryland for a long overdue (and wonderful) visit with family we hadn’t seen in several years. After that, it was back home to celebrate Christmas & New Year at home.

In February, our home suffered fairly massive water damage. Luckily, our homeowners’ insurance covered that; but before repairs could start, we had to get through cleanup, some delays, more cleanup, environmental testing, mitigation, demolition, more environmental testing, more mitigation, more demolition, oh, and did I mention delays? There were delays. Eventually, with a few other bumps in the road along the way, repairs were started in July. After another last-minute delay – we had to postpone our move out date, and delay starting the repairs when one of the kids got COVID – we finally moved to a nearby rental property, and the repair work started in the second week of July (I think).

The rental property was a vast improvement over our prior situation, in which two of the kids shared a makeshift bedroom comprised of a bunkbed in the dining room, with underbed storage bins for some of their clothes, and a dressing room/closet/sitting room set up beside the kitchen. Before moving to the rental, we’d been living in about half of our house, with no access to the front bathroom, hallway, and the two bedrooms off the hallway. We could sit in the front room if we wanted to, but had to walk out the back door, around the house, and back in the front door to get there. Alternately, we could walk through the laundry room, and then through our oldest daughter’s bathroom and bedroom. She was very agreeable to this plan, but we tried not to invade her space too often, and never without knocking. On the upside, we got more exercise, what with all the walking. On the down side, there was a plywood partition dividing our house, we couldn’t access a large portion of it, the people living in the dining room definitely lacked the privacy to which they are accustomed, and you know, there was the water damage, and all of the work going on in the house. So, while the rental house wasn’t exactly a vacation – we all still had to go to work, school, do chores, etc. – it was a huge step up from where we’d been. It was lovely, and clean, and you know, all of the rooms had floors, and we could live in all of them. It was a great place to stay while our home was put back together, even nicer than it was before.

The rental house, I would say, was one of the bright spots, in a very difficult year. There were quite a few of those, when I pause take time to look for them. Visits with friends and family – some who had come from far away, whom we’d not seen in a long time, others who live nearby, but whom we’d not seen for some time. Friends and family members welcomed new babies, started new jobs, achieved educational goals, and made major changes in their lives. Between the end of 2021 and the end of 2022, we were able to travel to visit some friends and family – we still need to get to Montana, and we will. We’ve taken day trips to beaches and drives in the mountains. We’ve explored our city. There have been hikes, bike rides, walks. Just recently, we drove out to Joshua Tree National Park for the first time. It’s strange, when I think of 2022, my first thought is of how difficult it was, and it was a difficult year. In fact, I thought that was the story I was coming here to tell. Somehow, now that I’ve set out to write it, I find I don’t want to spend my time detailing every difficult thing that happened this year. Some of those things aren’t mine to tell, so I would never tell them. Some are behind me, and I would prefer they stay there. I will say this: There were days (weeks, months, even) when it seemed like every time things started to ease up, something would go awry. Some weight would lift, then an anvil would drop, there’d be some new wrench in the works, or some new bit of bad news, something else unexpected happening, something that needed to be dealt with. It was a year in which we just could not seem to find our footing. A year of falling, grasping, waiting to be caught, to land. A year of hoping for a net, a parachute, a miracle or a bit of magic for all of us, of hoping maybe it was a dream, and we’d wake up and it least some of it would be over.  

We are lucky that some of the situations that made our year difficult have recently been resolved, so at least we can move forward without that weight on our shoulders. Our home is whole again, and we can live in it. Everyone who worked on it has been paid. I am 1 year seizure-free. Some other worries have been washed away.

When I sat down to write this, I thought I would write about what a difficult year it was, how glad I am to put it behind me, and how ready I am to start a brand New Year. Well, maybe I have, and I think it’s a fair assessment. It was a terribly difficult year for so many people I know. It was a difficult year for the world, it sometimes seemed. So many people had greater challenges to meet this year than I. To those who are still struggling, I wish you peace in the New Year. Be kind to yourself. The world can wait for you, I promise. Take the time you need to take care of yourself, even if that just means eating a meal, stretching or taking a walk, talking to a friend, closing your eyes for a few minutes, listening to music, refilling prescriptions, keeping appointments, playing a game with friends/family (or alone), reading a book, taking a bath, paint your toenails – whatever helps you. Trust me, I know how easy it is to get so caught up in doing all of the things that need to be done that we forget ourselves in the shuffle.

2022 was a difficult year in a lot of ways, but it’s over, and we’re here, and so I guess it wasn’t impossible. There were some great moments in 2022, too. Some good laughs, beautiful smiles, wonderful memories. I hope to take those good memories with me into 2023, and I am so relieved to be moving forward, gently, with hope for a better, easier year.

Resolutions? No. I’m tired. This year, I am just going to keep trying to keep trying. I’ll try to set attainable goals and reach them (eventually, when I have more time to think about that). Right now, I’m going to finish my coffee.

Happy New Year. I hope 2023 treats you well.

Joshua Tree National Park, Photo by Kate Noel Ross, 12/26/22