Early Thoughts on 2025

All of us are now approximately (depending on the day you read this) 22 days into 2025. Some have made great changes, some have had a metamorphosis and some are still trudging along. Kudos to the trudgers, proud of your valiant effort to keep at it. Don’t give up.

While we whittle away at 2025, there are some who will make changes in their life. As humans we are open for growth and development, hoping to grow stronger, more productive and even some of us look forward for the time and opportunity to become more aware, reflective and appreciative.

Often the road has enough bumps, curves and twists that we know there are challenges we will face, our goal then turns to reaching or achieving goals like rungs on a ladder…one step at a time.

One thing that I have noted in my own personal life is the strength and power and belief in prayer. When baby New Year 2025 stepped in and showed us the importance of believing and praying, we all should have taken note of what the year might bring to us.

Sadly, the newness and refreshing thoughts of a remarkable year were short lived. The year has already claimed the lives of so many of our friends, families and acquaintances with only three weeks that it leaves one with a heavy heart. For sure this is a time in so many lives that people are feeling the loss and grief of separation and brokenness. There is the other side of the loss of a loved one, too, and we are able to look at it in a different light ~ we can be thankful that we had them in our lives, regardless of how long. We have memories to hold on to and wrap ourselves with when we think back to what they meant in our life.

And they are only gone if we fail to remember them.

Our community is also overindated with cancer, as well. Not to mention those who have been victims of strokes. It seems like it is a vicious circle sometimes. Like a friend says, "it's a rat race and the rats are winning!”

As we face the cold weather, remember to dress properly and stay upright. I met a young lady at the gas pump the other day, she was wearing short and tight spandex, hopping around trying to keep warm. Apparently she must have been warmed by my unspoken thoughts and said, “I didn’t think it was this cold out!”

My thought was…she had it right with the first three words! (*I didn’t THINK…!)

It has been encouraging to see some out of guests in the community for the last couple weekends. Lil’ ol’ Mayberry needs an influx of visitors once in a while.

The younger generations providing the dance routines at the basketball games has been a delight to watch! Also, the young boys that were shooting hoops on Friday night are a promising generation for the sports programs. A thank you to the instructors who devote their time and energy to giving the youth these opportunities and at such a young, energetic and impressionable age.

Let’s keep putting one foot in front of the other and we will all make progress. Remember to keep your chin (and other anatomy) up and stay upright…it’s a tough task but someone must be able to do it!

This week would be a good week to reach out to someone you haven’t visited with for a while. You’ll never be any younger, so get with it.

Make this week the best one so far in 2025!