I woke up at 7am today and realized that it’s the second to the last day of the current year.

Looking outside the bedroom window and the partially opened door to the balcony, I saw the leaves of plants and trees still wet from the rain at dawn. The sky and surroundings too looked fresh, as if the drops washed away the dust and dirt of the earth. The sky has the slightest hint of gray. but there were no clouds in sight. It’s as if the sky is covered by a woolen, soft to the touch blanket.

To everyone reading this, I hope and pray that you are in the best of health. Or if there’s something that ails you, I hope that it will be all right. I pray that you are free from emotional and mental turmoil. I hope that despite the many things you have to do, you are still able to rest and do things that make you happy within. I hope that you find time to connect with your family, friends, and people who make you feel peaceful and contented. I hope that you take a moment to appreciate your blessings and your little wins in 2024.

My mind did a quick enumeration in a nanosecond of some habits I resolved to do in the new year — drink more water, sleep a bit earlier, be disciplined not to miss my brief exercise routine in the morning, take my vitamins daily, finish reading at least a book per month, eat less sugary food, visit a new place each month, refrain from overthinking, allot a “relaxed time” each day, be more patient, and so on… Then, in a quick turn of thought, I was imagining teaching in a remote area, teaching some livelihood skills to the people, opening a library and conducting a reading session, and organizing a feast where people enjoy nature’s bounty and happily cooking outdoors.

Then my mind went back to reality and thought of major plans for 2025.

I stopped when my mom entered my room to get something, Then I had a heart-to-heart conversation with God (interrupted a few times by my 3 pet cats), read two (2) entries in “Our Daily Bread” (one for December 30 about and the second from a page I opened randomly; the first one was about making things anew and the second was about overcoming grief), went down quickly when I heard a cat quarrelling with another, replenished the cats’ food and water, did a bit of exercise (squats, body twists, 2.5kg dumbbell exercises, wall pushups), then a slow breakfast of fresh milk and oat cookies.

I thought that it’s Rizal Day, about the series of plane crashes (how heartbreaking), about our pet cat Nat-Nat who passed away last 27th, about the last bill to settle before the year ends, about New Year plans, including what tasks to finish during the first workdays of 2025.

I guess I have to stop writing for now. My plans and initial desire to write something inspiring for the holiday season always leads to a to-do list and plans of what needs to be accomplished. 😀 I might just have the proper words later when the night is quiet and when people are sleeping.

To everyone reading this, I hope and pray that you are in the best of health. Or if there’s something that ails you, I hope that it will be all right. I pray that you are free from emotional and mental turmoil. I hope that despite the many things you have to do, you are still able to rest and do things that make you happy within. I hope that you find time to connect with your family, friends, and people who make you feel peaceful and contented. I hope that you take a moment to appreciate your blessings and your little wins in 2024. ❤