by Deborah Rogers –
The days between Christmas and New Year are some of my favourites of the year. I like to settle into a sort of hibernation mode, letting go of all the usual routines and especially all the “shoulds” of normal life. I should go to the gym, I should plan and prepare nutritious meals, I should say no to that second (or third) glass of wine and I definitely should set an alarm to make the most of tomorrow. But for those days that see out the end of the year it all slips to the wayside, and I indulge in what I view as self-care: sleeping in late, reading during the day, snacks for dinner and late-night movies.
Of course, no sooner have I sunk into the luxury of days with no schedule, reality strikes and it’s January 1! How does the start of 2024 find you? Are you feeling ready for another year? Do you have plans and dreams and goals to achieve? I love the fresh start that January offers – like the blank pages of the year’s new journal, the 12 months stretch before us with new possibilities and directions life could take us.
For me, I need the lazy, unproductive days at the end of one year to be ready to make the most of the coming one. I like the contrast. I want to wring every drop out of 2024: to push myself, to try new things, to do some good in the world and find pleasure in the things I do.
We’ve all heard the saying “the days are long, but the years are short” and usually it’s connected to raising children: how they grow up in the blink of an eye even when the sleepless nights and temper tantrums seem never-ending. But of course, it’s all our years that are flying by, eaten up with the routine of life, the working and eating and paying the bills. We’ve got to enjoy as much of those long days as we can too, because the year will roll around and it will be hibernation time again before we know it.
Wishing health and happiness to you all for this New Year.
Photo by Janis Jean Photography.
Clothing provided and styled by Lily Pad Lingerie, Mattick’s Farm.
