It's the Final Day of 2024 - Thoughts and Calendars

Today is the final day of 2024 and I'm heading to the swimming pool in a half-hour or so. It's the end of the year on most calendars we come into contact with, but there are other calendars out there used today that will not reflect this date. That's fine, although it can be a bit confusing sometimes. 

It's the last day of the current year on the calendar 
that we use most frequently here in the USA. 
Do you use a different calendar? Tell us about it. 

I remember when I was quite young, a relative from Israel sent me a calendar for the New Year, and it was a complete revelation to me because it didn't resemble my "normal" calendar at all. It was all in Hebrew, for one thing, but the months and dates were different, and the year was totally different. I thought it odd and rather unusual, as well as rather worthless to my young self. I liked it as an oddity, but never really had any use for it. 

I was quite mystified by the calendar my Jewish 
relatives had sent. I didn't understand it at all, 
and finally gave up and returned to my standard 
calendars with months I recognized and dates 
I could read. 

Calendars frame our lives. We're born on specific dates, and celebrate those dates annually as we progress in age. We track things on calendars - appointments, goals, life-changing events, etc. We sometimes look back at old calendars to see if we have progressed in one or another thing. I keep the photo pages that I love, because the calendars that I purchase annually have some outstanding photography. 

I choose my calendars because of their 
images. I have five calendars that I 
use daily, and one at the shop. All of them 
have wonderful photographs that I adore. 

So we're at the end of the calendars for 2024, and almost ready to begin the calendars for 2025. Will things really change that much? It's unlikely. You'll still head to your job within the week, you'll still deal with cooking and grocery shopping, you'll still dry a child's tears or exchange hugs with a good friend. In other words, life will continue. The only thing that will change is the date that we write on entries like this one, or on notes or physical checks to pay bills. But, you have an opportunity, today, to look back over the past year and say, "Yes. I liked this part of my year", or "No, I don't think I want to repeat that experience again." In other words, we can change our future based on the experiences of the past. 

When you look back at the past year, look at all of it - the 
good and the bad. You'll find that the good is much more 
than the bad, and the bad existed only to show you how much 
you had that was good in your life. Be kind to yourself. You've 
made it through another year and are beginning a new one. 
The possibilities are limitless. 

Today, I urge you to look at the past year - the good and bad, the happy and the sad. Don't worry about resolutions, just make a general pledge to be kind. Somehow, that's really all that's needed to make your way in this world. Kindness can move mountains. Have a safe, excellent New Year's Eve. I'm not sure if I'll post tomorrow (I probably will), but I wish the very BEST 2025 for every one of my readers. Slava Ukraini.