What did 2015 teach me?

 Back on my trusty steed again…but in a good way.

Did I learn any lessons  in 2015?

I would like to think that I did.

To go for any period of time without adding

to your personal “knowledge bank” is sacrilegious.

Some lessons were easier than others,

and were so obvious as to make them almost impossible to ignore.

Others were more subtle and were repeated in order

for me to realise that I had something to learn.

But learn I did,

and I only hope that these

“Lessons from the Universe” will stand me in good stead

for the year ahead.

The old cliche;

“If you get handed lemons, make lemonade”…

sucks! But you could cut a few slices and add those to a jug of water.

Much more useful…
I was also told;”Not every Facebook status update has to commented on”.
I will take that to heart in the upcoming year,
and ignore those that anger me, delete those which upset me,
and realize that the world WILL continue without Mark Zukerberg.

I realized that although 11 years have passed since my Dad’s death,

the “missing” does NOT get any easier.

(His birthday was 31/12, which makes end/ beginning so hard)

“Time heals all wounds”, might be true of external lacerations

but when it comes to emotional issues, it is a different matter.

I still, after all these years want to pick up a phone and call him.

I have learned to embrace those moments and to cherish the memories

that we shared…good and bad.

My daughter, Jayne, in this picture must be around a year old.

I so enjoy spending time with family.

Seeing that Jayne lives in Cape Town, that is not always possible.

But when she is in Johannesburg, we get to spend time

with the in-laws.

One of my favourite pictures of my father-in-law, Jayne and me.

“An elephant never forgets”?

Sometimes I believe that WE should.

I am often guilty of bringing baggage from one year into the next.

In 2016 I will make a conscious effort to leave the past behind.

“Life is too short to eat bad bagels”!

Unfortunately my best friend in the entire known Universe,

lives on the other side of the world…

We have been friends for decades and have shared secrets that

no one else knows…

I almost lost him and his wife in the Costa Concordia disaster,

and I now cherish this friendship even more.

Friendships are like a garden,

they need to be nurtured and looked after.

We will see each other at the end of 2016.

If only people who use social media would use grammar, syntax

and spelling correctly.

But, being of an older generation, I suppose that I should

give in to the fact that the modern youth speak and write

in “Twitter speak”.

I don’t have to like the fact, but I suppose that I will have to accept.

Like these trees along the Sea Point foreshore,

I will need to bend and be pliable when it comes to

trials and tribulations that 2016 might present to me.

No words are required…

We live in a society that thrives on instant gratification.

I hope that I have learned from 2015 that often

“All things come to those who wait”…

Not all the time though!

I need to become more focused.

Finishing one project before moving onto the next

I want to see as many sunrises and sunsets as I can.

I want to marvel at their beauty and splendour.

I want to be more like our cats…

I want to learn to slow down and take naps if I feel like it.

After all, I am a pensioner, and as such, entitled to such behaviour.

I will try NOT to be superior to those around me…

Cats seem to get this “look” so right,

but it does not look good on a human.

I will try not to be judgmental.

I will make time to stop and smell the roses.

Things pass up by so quickly,

and we need to be aware and accepting.

“Johannesburg is a rat race, and the rats are winning”

does NOT have to be my 2016 Mantra.

I can step off the treadmill if I wish!

  

Those are some of what 2015 taught me.

What did YOUR year teach you,

and, more importantly, will you take note?

And that is all I have to say…

Until the next time.

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