Goodbye 2017

Posted on by sudhagee

I have never waited as much for a year to begin as I did for you.
I have never waited as much for a year to end as I have done for you.

Dear 2017, you were not what I wanted or expected you to be. Everything that I hoped to go right passed me by and everything that had to go wrong stayed right back with me. Tragic deaths of friends, illness in the family, health scares, and more shook up my life as I know it. In other words, you epitomised my favourite quote.

Just when I knew all the answers to life’s questions, the questions changed. ~ Anonymous

And in all the disappointments, unhappiness, turbulence and heartbreak that you brought with you this year, you imparted valuable lessons. Lessons that were sometimes gentle and subtle, sometimes rammed down my throat, and sometimes delivered with a rap on my knuckles.

As your year comes to an end (and I can’t wait to bid you goodbye !), I want to sum up what you were for me with a focus on the important lessons you taught, rather than on all the negative things you brought.

Patience: I’m impatient by nature; not the foot tapping, can’t queue, look-at-the-watch type, but impatient-with-people kind of person. I can be impatient to the point of being perceived as rude and sometimes aggressive. I’m not very proud of this trait of mine and have been consciously trying deal with it by being more patient and polite with people, but haven’t really succeeded. This year wasn’t easy and there were times I snapped, leading to quite a bit of unpleasant repurcussions. I had to to try hard, very hard, to be consciously more patient, more gentle and in the process kinder not just to others, but to myself as well. It hasn’t been easy, but I hope I can maintain and persuade this new-found ‘patience’ to stay and become a part of who I am.

Friendships: I have always considered myself to be lucky where friends are concerned (touch wood !) and I deeply cherish the friendships I have. As I mentioned earlier, this year was tough and as anyone who has faced adversity will agree, support of friends matters a lot. I got support and love from the most unexpected people and indifference and silence from some friends I had assumed would be more understanding, but were not. Both set of friends have taught me invaluable lessons in friendship.

Downsizing: I have been consciously trying to lead a sustainable lifestyle in the last few years or so. I thought I was doing fairly well till I saw books spilling out of shelves and clothes I hadn’t worn in months. It was a bit of an epiphany. As I looked around my house and poked in shelves and boxes I came across stuff that hadn’t been used for the longest time and would probably never be used. That triggered off a re-evaluation of need versus want, hoarding versus collecting and what not. A massive round of clearing has been done, but will I need to go through multiple rounds before I can say I’m satisfied. I never realised how much joy giving away stuff gave me, especially books; however that needs a separate post, so watch this space.

Reading and Writing (and Blogging): I guess one never stops learning new things about oneself. In this case, I learnt that if I am on a reading spree, I can’t write and vice versa. Also, reading is a stress buster and it calms me and grounds me like nothing else. And 2017 being what it was, it was a year of reading and, therefore, not the year of writing (and blogging). You may have noticed that this post comes 4 months after the last one ! Oh my poor neglected blog, I really need to make it up to you. [Draft posts, I’m looking at you]

WhatsApp Groups: I took the longest time to join WhatsApp and got sucked into WhatsApp groups immediately. Initially, it was fun — the intense discussions, the nostalgia, the gossip, everything. But then things went South fairly quickly and I got bored and irritated in no time. But I took a while to exit the groups because I genuinely liked the people in them and also because they were friends. But exit I did and I can’t tell you how relived I felt. It might sound funny but my quality of life improved as I didn’t have to deal with daily negativity and rants. I just wish I had realised earlier that WhatsApp groups are not for me. Lesson learnt.

I could go on listing all the lessons I learnt this year and as well as all the nasty things you sent my way, dear 2017. But your time is nearly up and I bid you goodbye and look ahead to 2018, not with the eagerness I welcomed you, but with mixed feelings. After all, the lessons and experiences you gave are still fresh in my mind.

Dear friend, how was 2017 for you? What are you hoping from 2018? Do share in the comments.

Wish you a very Happy New Year and I hope 2018 is everything that you hope and wish for! 🙂

Lonar Crater

 

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Published by sudhagee

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13 thoughts on “Goodbye 2017”

  1. This post is an interesting read. Yes WhatsApp groups in most cases are useless with people simply doing cut copy and paste job. I generally just clear the chat. Surely both reading and writing takes time. I’m sure other readers like me must have missed your post. I’m hoping that 2018 will bring in positive changes. Hope to see you blogging regularly.

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    1. Thank you for your comment and for your wishes, Arv.

      Reading and writing, for me, are both enjoyable and all consuming and require a particular frame of mind. Unlike many people who can switch easily between both, I can’t. These days, I’m in a writing/blogging phase, so the reading is not really happening now. It is not just about time, but about the frame of mind. Maybe a day will come I’ll be able to do both.

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  3. i have the perfect solution for Whatsapp groups. Simply ‘mute’ them. This way, I read them only when I want to. Otherwise, it is better than Facebook I feel. In fact, I have turned off notifications for all the apps. No more vibrating, tiny notifications asking me to pick the phone every moment. 2017 was certainly a better year for me compared to previous years which were plagued with illnesses, hospital stays.

    Here’s wishing all your hopes for 2018 come true. Happy New Year Sudha.

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  4. Great to see you back and wishing you all the best for the coming year. I am sure 2018 will be a better, happier and prosperous year. The year started on a bad note from me for personal reasons and perhaps towards the year end things shaped up to heart’s content. I will like to see you blogging more and inspiring us for the coming year

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  5. 2017 was a good year for me professionally. I still don’t earn from my blog, but I did step foot into the (interior) world of food and travel blogging this year. I’m still learning the nitty-gritties and have a long way to go, but as a blogger, I am definitely better today than I was a couple of years ago.

    Personally, 2017 wasn’t a great year. I realised I’m not in the best of health, and that it is going to be very tough for me to be a healthy person if I wanted to continue being a foodie and food blogger. This year, I also realised I am feeling quite frustrated because of being at home most of the time, waiting for the husband to finish his work and playing with the bub so we can talk, of having to be a parent 24/7. I have a lot of help from the husband and the parents, but no real me time. I don’t get out of home unless it is with the husband or the bub or both – that definitely needs to change in 2018. I realised the value of leading a de-cluttered, simple, organised life and the importance of having friends and family with whom you can share anything and everything, any time of the day or night – I need to work more on this in 2018.

    Last but not the least, 2017 made me realise that I’m not giving enough time or attention to the things I love the most – cooking relaxedly (as opposed to hurriedly cooking for the blog), going out without an agenda, relaxing and lounging around at home and not doing anything at all, just being there in the moment with the bub, travelling, reading. I want to work on this in 2018 as well.

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  6. It was nice to read your post after so many months, not that I am regular!
    Yes, 2017 has been a year of ups and downs, but along with that it has given me a few days of absolute blissful pleasure – a holiday with extended family where I was treated like a queen and did not have to do a stitch of work; for this I am ever grateful. And the new year will, I am sure, have its moments of joy and angst and resolutions kept and abandoned. Most importantly, we carry forward along with family members, cherished memories and friends to 2018. CHEERS!!!

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