This is my entry for Ladies of Hive's Community Contest 167 which is about Gratitude.
In the contest, we are to answer either one of the two questions or both and I chose to do both this time around.
- Is there a person or a special moment that you want to thank for making 2023 a great year? Or could you simply leave us a few words of gratitude for this year that we leave behind?
The year 2023 wasn't the best, but there still are a lot of things to be grateful for and people to thank. To start with, I am grateful for being able to experience and live another year. It was challenging, but I survived. I'm more than ready to face 2024, thanks to all the experiences I had last year.
Last year wasn't that good in terms of my family's health, particularly my mother's. However, because of it we (my family and I) started changing our lifestyle for the better. What happened to my mother was such an eye-opener for all of us.
She didn't want to see a doctor and wouldn't like to take any medicine, so I implemented some rules and changes which not only applied to mama, but also to papa and I. The year ended with my mama's condition becoming better, and that is a huge thing to be thankful for. It takes discipline and determination to achieve it.
Other happy things happened last year, too. I got to meet some very important people in my life who I haven't met since the pandemic started. My Japanese "manghud" (younger sibling), Yui, visited us together with Maki (her hubby) and baby Kairi. Aside from them, my bestie who's now based in the US came home and I got the chance to bond with her again. We caught up and enjoyed each other's company even for a short time. I'd love to spend time with her again soon!
Before the year ended, one of my closest high school friends got married and I was there to witness it. I'm truly happy for her and wish her the best in this new chapter of her life.
We still got a lot of problems and challenges to face this year, but as long as I'm with my family, I'd be strong enough to face them. It could only get better from here!
- Share with us what skills do you have and want to put into practice this new year. Maybe you have a venture in mind?
One of the things I'm aiming for this new year 2024 is self-improvement. I want to have a more organized and goal-oriented life. I also want to check on myself through journaling and self-reflection and I've been doing so since the year started.
Another thing I want to work on this year is creating more artworks. I did start last year, but this year I want to make something at least once a week which I could share here. I know it would be tough given my schedule, but I want to at least try and impose a short-term goal that I could follow. I see it as a challenge which goes back to my main aim, self-improvement.
I'm also planning on improving my Japanese. I haven't really studied for years, but I miss learning the language. I don't have any concrete plans of going to Japan, yet... but it would come in handy in my classes and perhaps in the future as well. There's also my love for Japanese anime, manga and music. So, let's work on this as well.
I hope I could keep doing these things given my already busy schedule. I'll do my best and enjoy... then, we'll see. Thanks for reading and see you around!