January is the time of year when a lot of us make New Year’s resolutions…old things have passed away, and the dawning of a brand-new year is upon us. We are anxious for the new year to be a special one, full of hope and promise. I, for one, was very happy to throw 2024 into the dustbin of history…the past year was a very difficult one personally, where there seemed to be no end of suffering and loss, both near and far away. During late summer and fall alone, I knew of at least five different families whose lives had been irreparably altered by the death of a loved one, who often suffered a rather rapid and unexpected demise. It is very true that death deals us the cruelest blow in this fleeting and uncertain life. Sadly, sickness is not far behind.
The common thread running throughout our lives last year was my husband’s failing health, both physical and mental. It all started in June with an overnight trip to our local emergency department to treat dehydration, followed by two lengthly hospitalizations in July, August and September for bacterial pneumonia, and ended with a final overnight stay in the same emergency department in November to address hypertension. I was forced to call 911 a total of six times during the spring, summer and fall, which in itself was traumatizing and hard to deal with. One might think that my background in nursing would make things easier to navigate, but when it is a close family member, things look and feel much more dire. Our personal and shared experiences within the medical community and hospital were also unpleasant and even dangerous at times, which made our situation seem that much worse. Thankfully, the paramedics, social workers, and most of the doctors were professional, friendly, and kind to both Paul and me. Paul’s health has stabilized since then, and the specialist who treats his back pain confirmed to us in November that his scoliosis has actually straightened, due to the muscles supporting his spine being more relaxed. As a result, he is experiencing less pain for the first time in seven years. How amazing is that?
Yes, for many people, 2024 will go down as a year not to be remembered or repeated. Despite all of the negatives though, there were still other positive experiences to be celebrated….My best friend, who lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia, visited us in May for a few days. In June, my son and his long-time girlfriend held a beautiful commitment ceremony in Europe, which both my family and I were able to attend. We enjoyed two weeks in the historic and picturesque city of The Hague, getting acquainted with new family members and reconnecting with old friends alike. It was truly the highlight of my year! But perhaps the most unbelievable miracle occurred in February, when my niece’s husband was miraculously cured of thyroid cancer, without any surgery or treatment whatsoever…only lots of prayer and God’s mercy and grace. Our Lord is so good to us!
The ability to turn negatives into positives is no small feat; I will paraphrase the famous John Milton in his 1634 poem Comus: “…every cloud has a silver lining….” My husband and I were out one day for brunch at our favourite breakfast place where we were unexpectedly served by a young waitress whom we had not seen for over a year. She had returned to university and was now supply teaching in our local schools, only working in the restaurant on weekends for extra money. Her goal was to buy her first home. She shared that 2024 had been a very difficult year for her and her family as both her mom and her uncle had been suddenly struck down by cancer. Upon reflection, a bright smile lit up her beautiful face, and she confided that despite all of the fear and illness that cancer had reigned down upon them, there were also many things to be celebrated; both of her loved ones had “beat cancer”, so the entire family had travelled to Italy in June to celebrate their shared victory and Amanda’s recent graduation from school. In the fall, her sister had also become engaged to be married… there were still so many triumphant moments to be acknowledged and validated!
As I search my own heart regarding what I should work on this coming year, I have resolved to try to let the small issues of life go and to not make a mountain out of a molehill; moreover, I want to focus on not being overly sensitive to negative people and/or situations. Instead, I want to look for the silver lining in all things, or as the apostle Paul said in Philippians 4:8; “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things.”
Happy New Year!