Don’t you know 2015 is around the corner? I do hope you’ve got it all worked out by now. You know, the goals, the milestones, the resolutions, the aspirations, the larger-than-life aims that you set for yourself every single year? You have?! Wow, that makes one of us.
2014 has been nothing if not exciting and challenging, sometimes both at the same time and I’m not even sure that’s a good thing. Sure, I’ve had moments of indescribable pleasure (Ew, no! Get your mind out of the gutter) in the blog-sphere, such as meeting some wonderful bloggers in Goa, participating in the A-Z Challenge 2014, publishing over 100 posts on my parenting blog this year alone and starting this fiction blog, where I discovered the Real Reason that I write. All of this filled my heart with so much love and gratitude that mere words cannot do them justice.
On a more personal note, a group of fabulous moms got together online and created a lovely parenting group that I now moderate. We brought back the love of sharing and childhood fun when we played Secret Santa there as well as on another group. Virtual connections turned into strong friendships, something I had never deemed possible. I grew a year older (surprise! ;), but way wiser than I have in the last 5 years.
It wasn’t all peaches and cream, though. Never can be, can it?
This was also the year that I suffered a deep, personal loss, when a wonderful Aunt of mine left us unexpectedly. Less than a fortnight later, I suffered a dreadful fall, which put me out of commission for a week, took me off solids for a month and I still have pain in my teeth when I attempt to eat bread or anything harder.
My first love, blogging {sorry, spouse and kid, but you know how it is 😉 } had to take a break from its goal of writing all year long, since I developed severe muscular pain in my neck and my shoulder. My first-ever rejection letter came by e-mail, a thing that hurt but I chose to grow from it, rather than get offended. I was hurt by insinuations made by another when my intent was in fact, to help a group of people.
If this year has taught me anything, it is that Life gives you rocks and roses, flung at you in equal measure. Are we always ready for them? Darn it, of course not. However, that’s the beauty of it, isn’t it?
Do you know what’s the best part about the whole year, though? None of the above was planned beforehand. I did not resolve to blog everyday or form a parenting group or be hurt by someone. Everything happened by and for itself.
As 2015 beckons, I am making a single resolution:
I have no resolutions.
That’s right. You heard me. I am going to take Life as it comes, laugh at my lovely moments, cry at the miserable ones, reach out when I am sad and curl up with a book, if needed. Or maybe not. Maybe I will do the exact opposite of everything above. The point is, if I had such an eventful 2014 without any resolutions at all, I am pretty sure 2015 is going to knock my socks off.
Then again, maybe it won’t 😉
Either way, I am letting go of expectations. Bring it on, you Big Bad Boy! I’m ready!
~~~
Head here to check out more Non-Fiction entries on the Yeah Write Grid or write yours and link up
It’s fun to go through your post after a long time. Well I liked the idea of “no resolutions” this year. Indeed, unplanned things are better and give us an immense pleasure! Wishing you a bright, prosperous and healthy year 2015! 🙂
I’m not one for resolutions either so I hear you on that one Shailaja! However, my preference is to set either an intention as either a phrase – different from a resolution – or a theme (as simple as one or two or three words either linked or separate). For example, I think one year my theme was ‘peace.’ And I have actually forgotten to do this the past few years so may reconsider…not sure what got me off the bandwagon. For yourself Shailaja, I wish you a healthy (and healthier) 2015 and all that your heart (secretly) desires (even if you don’t share them, i..e, “resolutions”). 😉 <3
I always go with No Resolutions. It never works out with resolutions for me. 🙂 What you described above is very true, Shailaja, always the unplanned and surprises both bitter and sweet, hides throughout, isn’t it! I never knew that I was going blog on 2014. It was never planned. And here I made friends aplenty. So glad to meet you and connect with you. It’s a pleasure to read your writings. 🙂
I heard from a friend today that rather than try to make a resolution, she finds a sentence or quote to take with her into the coming year. That really resonated with me, much more than the notion of “resolutions” ever did…
I think no resolutions is definitely the way to go. My mother likes to say, “We make plans. God laughs.”
2014 has been an exciting year for you and may 2015 bring you all the happiness and good health too! Liked that picture quote! Yes, bring it on!! ♥
I don’t have resolutions for 2015, but I do have a couple of pretty big goals. I’ve been laying the groundwork for those goals for a couple of months now, because the changing of the year doesn’t magically make things happen.
I hope 2015 brings you more roses than rocks.
I have no resolutions!
Happy 2015 to you too Shailaja. I’m glad to have found you in 2014. 🙂
Ah yes! If THAT happens, I am going to be one snug bug in a rug 🙂 Thanks Naba 🙂
My resolutions never see fruit, but my short-term goals and challenges are always more promising. May still do that this year 🙂
I think that is the best wish for the New Year ever 🙂 Yes, I do hope blogging will take centre stage more often next year. Thank you, Raj 🙂
I know, right, Aseem? 🙂 Was a wonderful trip.
I actually like the idea of a word for the year. How lovely!
I too have no resolutions. Just 2015 should make a better person. Its his job!
I stopped making resolutions a long time ago as life has taught me that the Universe has a plan all of its own. Sorry to hear about your fall. Hope all is good now. Write from your heart and someday someone will love your writing enough to publish it. Wishing you a wonderful 2015.
Now that’s an attitude I love… I’m sure you’ll knock every ball out of the park in 2015 as well 🙂
I like to make resolutions – it kind of keeps the focus on some things.
But I like the idea of going into the new year with no expectations too. Makes life much more exciting.
I hope your 2015 is way better on health front. Don’t want to see you off from the blogging again 🙂 . Wish you lots of success and good times in 2015, yeah indescribable pleasures as well 😛
May you have a great 2015 as well Shailaja ji :). I guess for me as well one of the greatest highlights of 2014 was the awesome Goa trip :D.
I love this post and your attitude! I’m not really one for resolutions either, though I do like to choose a word for the year… which reminds me, I still need to pick one for 2015!
Wishing you the same in equal measure, dearest Shilpa <3
So liberating, isn’t it? 😀 Happy holidays, Sam 🙂
Yes, I know! Why am I not surprised? 😉
Wishing you the same and lots more too, Shalini. Thank you <3
May you have an exciting new year, Shailaja! Exciting and wish-fulfilling…:-)
I, for once, have no resolutions. It’s exciting! 🙂
Er… I resolve to never make resolutions? 😉
I pray you have a great 2015 as well, Mam! 🙂
Likewise, Sid. In such amazing measure. Thank you for enlarging my blogging circle with your wit and warmth. Happy end of the year to you 🙂
.. And it definitely will 🙂 one my my highlights of 2014 has been the pleasant discovery of caring friends like yourself. Have fun.