Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

Winter photos.

I always enjoy the brand new slate of New Year's Day, but this year was different because I finally felt more like "myself" after being sick for so long.

New Year's Day fun at Hidden Falls Regional Park

During the several months I spent mostly on the couch, I measured the expected energy expense of every step before taking it. I sometimes reflected on the time I've wasted on useless worry, petty resentments, nursing hurt feelings, speculating about uncontrollable events.

As 2015 came to a close, I thought about the health challenges of the year and how solutions became clear in December. I was so grateful for the medical professionals, family and friends who took care of me, especially in December. My sister Marilyn visited and took on the management of my health; because of her skill  and expertise (well beyond her child psychiatry specialty!), as well as her insider MD understanding of almost daily blood tests, I made it through days of coughing and general illness and eventually got appropriate treatment for underlying Crohn's Disease.

My friend Dennis checked in on me every couple of days throughout the fall and came to see me in the hospital during the busy week preceding Christmas. Bob's daughter Sonia called or texted every day and brought entertaining reading material to my hospital room, cheering me with her kindness, humor and optimistic outlook on life. Son Chris texted, called, sent me a beautiful poinsettia, and visited me in the middle of busy workdays as he rushed to get through year-end business. My husband Bob sat quietly with me when I was too tired to talk or do much of anything but sense the peace of his presence. When I got home from the hospital, he prepared meals and generally made me feel comfortable and cherished, still driving me everywhere until I'm  strong enough to finally go out of the house by myself. Many other family members and friends called, emailed, messaged and prayed for me.

I have only one resolution this year: to fully appreciate each new day and the people who fill my life with interesting ideas, joy and fun. On January 1, I woke up early and almost jumped out of bed, well before 5:00 a.m. I washed a load of dishes an hour later and had brand new linens on the beds before I took my shower. Feeling full of energy, I washed three loads of laundry in the morning, so happy with Bob's New Year's Eve repairs on my old washing machine. We spent part of the day enjoying the outdoors: it's always fun to watch crazy Minnesotans waterski at Hidden Falls and visit some of our favorite all season destinations like Fort Snelling State Park.

I'm not sure how to beat that great January 1 start, so I started looking for a quote to help frame my resolution. Google came to the rescue with these quotes about optimism. Figured I can't do better than this one:

“What day is it?"
It's today," squeaked Piglet.
My favorite day," said Pooh.” 

― A. A. Milne