Cue the “Happy New Year” posts, conversations, and resolutions… now!
The holidays are finally behind us. We came, we conquered, we ate, and we spent time with friends, family, and loved ones. Another year is in the books, and looking back, it feels like it flew by at record speed.
Why is it that as we get older, the years seem to move faster and faster?
For my wife and me, 2024 was quite the whirlwind—filled with moments of joy, heartbreak, and everything in between.
The hardest part of the year was losing my dad unexpectedly in May. Grieving comes in waves, but the hole his passing left in our family will always remain. As much as I hate to admit it, I anticipated his passing to some extent. He’d begun feeling unwell toward the end of 2023, withdrawing from family gatherings and avoiding medical attention. My dad wasn’t one to visit doctors, and his struggles with alcoholism quietly took their toll.
On the morning of May 18, he passed away. We don’t know the exact cause, but we’ve been mourning, picking up the pieces, and moving forward, just as he would have wanted.
On a personal level, 2024 brought its own challenges. Back in February, I ended up in the hospital—twice in one day—convinced I was having a heart attack. I was recovering from a cold, overloading on over-the-counter medicines, drinking far too much Celsius, and dealing with more stress than I realized.
After months of doctor visits, blood tests, and x-rays, the diagnosis became clear: I was having panic attacks.
My doctor diagnosed me with anxiety, and while I’m still navigating it, knowing what I’m dealing with brings some reassurance.
Then came the summer, when I had an unpleasant run-in with poison ivy. Prednisone and a cocktail of OTC remedies helped me through it. Later in the year, my wife caught a cold, which progressed into bronchitis, and one of her prescribed medications likely caused a mystery rash. Thankfully, the rash cleared up, but her lingering cough is still hanging around.
To top it off, shortly after my dad’s passing, our Dalmatian, Chief, had a seizure that landed us at the emergency vet. We had just returned from a trip, picked him up from boarding, and a day later, it happened. Bloodwork showed no signs of organ issues, but thankfully, he’s been doing fine since—minus his usual digestive drama, of course.
2024 wasn’t all bad, though. There were plenty of bright spots too. My wife and I celebrated our third wedding anniversary, and she started a new remote job in April. I continued to grow in my career, and we somehow managed to visit all four EPCOT festivals at Disney World—becoming Disney World Annual Passholders for the first time to make it happen.
At home, we made progress on several projects. We installed a whole-home generator (Cummins, ftw) and began work on a deck—though it’s not quite finished yet (a long story, indeed). A very small portion of our flooring project remains to be completed, but it’s definitely on my to-do list for 2025, much to my wife’s chagrin.
Looking ahead, I’m hoping 2025 will be a better year all around.
I’m not big on New Year’s resolutions anymore. Over the years, I’ve realized that smaller, more attainable goals work better for me. Whether it’s improving my technical skills, continuing my journey toward financial independence, or striving for a healthier lifestyle, I’ve learned that incremental progress beats lofty January 1 ambitions.
So, what about you? Are you setting big resolutions this year, or focusing on smaller, more manageable goals?
Here’s to whatever comes next.
–Sean
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