Oh 2024. Yes, you were the year that I received yes’s instead of no’s to a publishing proposal, and you were also the year that brought me to Scotland to start a dream of a PhD. But you were so much more than that…
You were the year that opened me to feel new depths of joy and grief, some of which had been backlogged for decades.
You were the year in which I ever so slowly stopped doing things that I was only doing because some part of me felt like I had to — the year when I started to practice what I preached in new ways, embracing that I have choices—and freedom in those choices—choices in how I see the world, how I live, and how I walk through each day…
You were the year when I was most conscious of what has felt like the biggest shifts in my spirituality. And rather than seeing that as a scary thing, I’m starting to realize maybe those shifts have been growing pains that in another year’s reflection I’ll look back on differently from moments of heartache that have felt dry and dark…
You were the year that marked me understanding more and more about how my brain, body, and nervous system are wired, understanding new categories and implications of all things neuro… and started to view how my brain, body, and nervous system are wired with so much more curiosity and care rather than old lenses of shame…
You were a year in which I danced, a lot. Cried, a lot. Sang, a lot. Hugged, a lot. Played, a lot. Rested, a lot. Loved, a lot. Hiked, a lot. Went in icy cold water, a lot. Dreamed, a lot. Created, a lot. Was curious, a lot. Hoped, a lot. Hurt, a lot. Lost, a lot. And felt it all.
And while 2025 does not feel like a real number that can indicate the year that we’re about to be in (anyone else remember the 90s and the 2000s just seeming so weird in general?!), it’s nearly here, and I’m excited to see what she’ll bring.
As we step into a new year together, I’d love to invite you to join me in reflecting on what has been…
How did this year hold you?
Beyond work or things you can list as accomplishments, what were the things that you felt?
How did you move through all that this year brought you?
What would you like to set down and intentionally *not* carry into 2025?
Photograph: Neist Point at sunset, Isle of Skye
For more Scotland photography, follow @a.c.seiple on Instagram