December 2023 "In My Life"

The previous post here on the ol' blog was a year ago...which means that 2023 slipped by me sometime in between today and my previous blog post.  

I hopped on here today with the intention of sharing a festive "Year-in-Review" post, but nah ..... words escape me at the moment.  Hard to believe, I know.

My son got married in June...and our first grandbaby was born in July.  Those were the two happy & high points of the year. Other than those two things, the rest of the year was a nail-biter. But here we are ... on the other side of it ... still intact, but definitely not the same people we were a year ago. Lessons learned. Weary of a few things. Wiser, hopefully. 

I think, perhaps, quite a bit of dross was burned off this year - and that's always a good thing.  It's good to go through a refining process, and (hopefully) emerge a bit smoother around those proverbial rough edges. 

I don't want to just turn my head and launch willy-nilly into 2024.

I want to ponder 2023 a bit longer...and soak in all that I'm supposed to learn and gain from all that happened.  It was a lot.  It's been a long season of grief, loss, shock, disappointment, and a firm reckoning of reality.  I want to learn from it, but not let it settle within and rot me from the inside out.  I want The Happenings of 2023 to burn away the unnecessary stuff, and produce a more refined, peaceful, solid state inside.  The veneer...the shell...the shiny parts...those thin, fragile surfaces...they can be polished, but I want the inside to be quality.  Able to withstand daily use, not easily damaged or scratched.  Tough, but lovely.  Well-worn. Yes, that's the word.  Like fine furniture ... solid, dovetailed details, useful and practical, but beautiful, and welcomed into a timeless traditional setting...an heirloom that has withstood time, with stories to tell quietly.  

"In My Life"... by McCartney & Lennon...  A classic tune about reflecting on the past, but appreciating what is right in front of you today.

"There are places I'll remember

All my life, though some have changed.

Some forever, not for better;

Some have gone and some remain.

...........................................................................................................

Tho' I know I'll never lose affection

For people and things that went before,

I know I'll often stop and think about them,

In my life, I love you more.