Welcome to New Year 2024! Thank Goodness!

I’ve gotta say, the last few months of 2023 were tough. Hubby diagnosed with cancer. Family challenges. Dark nights of the soul.

Remember the line from that Joni Mitchell song, “don’t it always seem to go, that you don’t know what you’ve got til it’s gone?”

Yeah.

2:30 am. I wake up – not that unusual these days. What’s weird though is I notice that I’m not able to swallow – swallowing is something I totally take for granted! But it’s taking me conscious effort and determination to get the accumulating saliva down my throat.

Checking the bathroom mirror, I see that my tongue has swollen to fill almost the whole inside of my mouth. Will it start cutting off my airway? Panicky, I try to wake hubby. It’s funny now, but he can’t hear me without his hearing aids and I can’t articulate “I need to go to the ER!” anyway. (I never realized how important a tongue is to proper speech!)

Long story short, I got to the hospital and the ER staff took great care of me. After several hours, swelling down and “back to normal,” they released me. But everyone involved is left kind of stumped. Apparently, an allergic reaction, but to what? No clue.

Personally, I think there were some messages in it for me, even though I’m not sure about them, just yet. Maybe that I just wasn’t able to swallow any more of 2023?

Dark Nights + Appreciating the Good

These challenges and dark nights are such great reminders to appreciate all that’s good, while it’s here. And, for me, to let go of many of the things that I have been desperately clinging to. Not just the books, notes, and ‘stuff.’ So much more about letting go of personal “identity,” patterns, and beliefs. Truly humbling. And, somehow, freeing.

I know the end of 2023 was rough for many people. If it was for you, please know that you are not alone! These are tough times for everyone – even if the outsides look good.

Let’s find the things to be grateful for, no matter how small, and appreciate them.

Sending love and blessings for a joyous 2024.