Wednesday, December 31, 2025

Happy Trails

 

Since this is New Year’s Eve and everyone is looking for a better year ahead. It really isn’t going to take much to improve on the year that ends tonight.

I always like to see what animal rules the Chinese lunar New Year, although it doesn’t technically begin until February 17. We are in luck for the year ahead since it is the year of the Fire Horse. Apparently, this combination of element and animal is a Zodiac event that happens only every 60 years.

The Fire Horse is a combination of the independence, or freedom, of the horse ignited by the boldness and high energy of fire. The Fire Horse year is considered to be a lucky year and provide ample opportunity for personal growth, passion, action, and adventure. The caveat being that the rapid pace could turn into chaos.

The fire year speaks to me since I seem to have been on a rampage of putting out fires. I’ve learned to take one day at a time and not lie awake thinking about what new fire might break out overnight.

I’ve learned more than I ever wanted to know in the past year. I think about how simple life used to be and how complicated it is now. I have so many different fires to put out that I had to make a “day of the week” priority to keep myself on track. One of the best things I did for my mental and physical health was to schedule Sunday as my day of rest.  

At midnight, we symbolically get a do-over. Most of us know that technically, it’s just another day. Life doesn’t magically change just because we toss out the old calendar and hang a new one.

We will wake up the first of January and still be dragging around the same baggage that we had the day before. Our sorrows, worries, and fears don’t disappear overnight.

 Rather than making resolutions that I won’t keep, I will take a moment to reflect on how much I’ve accomplished and learned in the past year. From the losses of the last year, I’ve gained the wisdom that life is too precious to waste. I know that my loved ones who left this world will always live in my heart and bring comfort to my soul.

I have been blessed to have found love twice. Each memory, each piece of wisdom, each whisper of love, will stay with me. Eventually, I will focus on what I gained from them instead of feeling that I lost a part of myself.

I do have some hopes for the year ahead. I would like to play music at the nursing homes again. I’ve been practicing on my guitar and somedays think I’m making progress. I want to spend more time with family and friends. I want to relax more and stress less.

In the Year of the Fire Horse, I want to wish everyone “Happy Trails.”  If you celebrate, stay safe.  

 

Copyright © December 2025 by L. S. Fisher

#ENDALZ

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