2024, the Year that Sucked

A recap of a really hard year while trying to see the good things too.

Hey friends! Since 2014, I have gone offline in December. Nowadays, it’s once my kids finish school, which was yesterday. I started doing it because I felt totally overwhelmed after having two babies in 12 months and not getting more than 3 hours of sleep at a time, and I didn’t feel like I should be spending the holiday season looking at everyone’s highlight reels. I wanted to be all in with my crew. Now, I do it because it feels good to spend time away from my screens & it seems like the right time to take a break from consuming or making content. I enjoy the space not being online gives me. Sometimes, I’m only offline for a couple of weeks. Sometimes, it ends up being months. What I’m trying to say is after today, I’ll see you in 2025.

This year has been the worst, so let’s start with what was really bad in 2024.

Mental health & addiction. These two things have been the hardest things our family has ever dealt with. This year, these issues brought us to the brink. At times, I didn’t think I would be capable of supporting the person who needed me because the sadness, stress and heartbreak were all-consuming.

Our son moving to Melbourne. It has been great for him, but it broke my heart. I miss him so much.

Peri really did a number on me this year. My periods have been INSANELY irregular, the hormonal headaches/migraines were intolerable & my moods were not pleasant. My patience disappeared, and rage won out a lot of the time. This is just who I am now & we are all learning how to live with this new version of me.

Finances did not go as planned. They rarely do, especially if you both work for yourself, but this year, there was certainly more money going out than coming in at times. Savings have dwindled, but it is what it is.

Blake’s moto accident was scary (he’s recovering really well!). Having a kid go through 2 surgeries & spend months recovering is hard. But again, he’s doing AOK.

In my experience, negative things always overshadow the positive ones. Ask me to name the good things that happened this year & I’d be hard-pressed to come up with many. But there were some, there always is.

My sister got married. She came to visit with her girls. My mum house sat for us while we went away on a much-needed holiday. People supported us when we needed it. I gave myself time when I needed it. And boy, did I need it!

Here’s the thing: despite this being possibly the hardest year of my life, we’ve made it through (almost) all the hard things that 2024 threw at us. I’m still married (24 years last month!). My kids are doing good; the third one has just finished primary school! I have my peri stuff mostly under control, except the periods. I have taken control of my physical health, which in turn helps my mental health & I feel so much better for it. I’ve learned to speak up in a way I never have before & to accept my changing patience levels. I retreated when I couldn’t cope & found solace in my marriage & family life more than ever before. I am more accepting of who I am at this stage of my life. It’s been a ride.

2024 did not go the way I planned or hoped it would. I thought last year was hard, but 2024 upped the ante in a way that blindsided me. There were times I didn’t feel strong or able to cope with the hits. But I’m feeling good about the way I’ve dealt with this year. I’m still standing. I’m still hopeful that things will get better. My heart is still full of love & understanding. Nothing is ever all bad or all good, even when things are really fucking bad, there’s still some good to be found.

My kids delighted me & made me laugh. My friends were supportive & loving. My husband has been the calm in the storm. How lucky am I?

I hope 2024 was kind to you. I hope you loved freely & were shown love. I hope you ate good food & read great books.

Take care. And thank you for being here. I’ll see you in the new year.

Talk soon xx