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Welcome to 2024!

Jan 1, 2024

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What a year 2023 ended up being. It started off with my stepdad getting a rare thyroid cancer (anaplastic) and dying within four weeks of being told he has three to six months to live. As much as none of us wanted to see him go, and from cancer, we were comforted knowing he didn’t suffer much at all.

He didn’t have to get radiation, nor did he get chemotherapy. Neither of which would have kept him alive longer either – that’s what the doctor told us anyway. The insidious disease that is cancer sucks! And as much as I miss my stepdad, I am glad he is no longer sad from missing my mom and his daughter and his parents and all the rest that went before him. But most especially, my mom. He cried, just saying her name. He is free of that sadness and free of having Parkinsons as well. That all brings me comfort, too.

By the way, getting a bad (is there really any other kind?) case of bronchitis when my stepdad was in the hospital was no picnic, let me tell you. I should have known better than to go into a hospital and not wear a mask as I am just more susceptible to getting stuff with a weakened immune system. Which I think was evident when I got a second round of covid-19 in September.

No doubt, 2023 wasn’t always a great year. But despite that, well, it was still a year to remember. And that’s because as awful as it was to see another close family member pass away, and despite getting bronchitis and covid-19 in the same year, I got to celebrate some pretty awesome milestones.

The first was making it to the twelve year mark since first being diagnosed with late-stage ovarian cancer, which was on December 15th. When I say it’s hard to believe it was so long ago, I’m being serious. It doesn’t feel that long ago, while at the same time, it feels way longer. I didn’t know if I was going to still be here over a decade years later. I hoped I would be, but I couldn’t have said I absolutely knew I would. Maybe because I also got cancer again in 2019 and then in 2020. It’s hard to know anything when cancer comes back so soon after the second time.

But I am still here. And that brings me to the second milestone. That being that on December 16th, I hit two years and six months since my last chemotherapy treatment. Two years and six months since I have been in remission. Woot, woot! 🥳💃🏾

Woot, woot to both, actually! 🍾🍾

I didn’t go anywhere. Or do anything for the occasion – didn’t have the funds at the time. But I did get some red wine, as I never drink wine but wanted to do something different, different from beer for the special occasion anyway. Oh, and I treated myself to a piece of cake. It was quite low-key really. Which was fine with me. It’s not about big celebrations. It’s not about anything but being grateful.

And I am. In more ways than I could ever truly express.

I will end that I also have something else to say about 2023. That was good. And that is how me and siblings got closer. Our stepdad passing just had us doing more together as well as wanting to spend more time together. I don’t know how it will be going forward. But it was nice. Death can bring people together, not always, but it can and it did for us. I’m thankful for that. Not just with my siblings but also with their children.

I thank God that there is beauty from ashes. There is good despite the bad. That if we are open to it, we will see that hope is not lost. That sadness doesn’t last forever. That we still have much to be joyful about, especially for the family and close friends we still have. As well, if not just as important, to continue to have great health.

Which is what I am hoping and praying this new 2024 year will be all about. To include some nice abundance of prosperity. That would be the cherry on top. The bonus, if you will. 😊

I hope the same for you. Whoever you are. Wherever you are. May 2024 be full of all things good and wonderful. May you have more tears of joy than tears of sadness. And may we all strive to be stronger, wiser, and better (not better than anyone) than who we were in 2023. I’d like to add: healthier, smarter (using common sense and critical thinking) and kinder. Ok, maybe I would like that for everyone too. 😉✌🏾

Oh, and yes, I pray it’s a year of peace throughout the whole world. 🙏🏾

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Jan 1, 2024

4 min read

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