A Farewell to 2024

 

Major losses of loved ones in 2024 caused me to reevaluate how I want to spend the next chapter of my life. Originally, I’d contemplated working until age 67 to maximize social security benefits; however, the deaths of my father, my Aunt Virginia and both of my husband’s parents within a 6 month span altered my psyche to the extent that I’ve decided to live my best life now. 

The first big decision involved cashing in stock options to pay off debt and build a koi pond with a waterfall. Our contractor, Noah, from Aquatic Creations designed a perfect place for contemplation. And he ensured it would be up and running by my birthday in July. Sitting under a maple tree, just watching the fish swim and listening to the waterfall has brought me so much peace and pleasure.

For the first time in 23 years at my current employer, I used all of my PTO plus the 15 days of bereavement to which I was entitled and felt zero guilt.

Next steps- sell my restricted company stock shares that have been vested and pay off my car. Finally, decide just how much more time I’m willing to devote to a corporation that has treated me well comparatively, but nonetheless would prefer to replace all sentient beings with AI. 

This morning, the last day of 2024, I bundled up, ventured outside, and took a long walk, noting the beauty of the winter countryside, thanking my higher power for my good fortune in having the beautiful loved ones that we’d lost this year for as long as we were blessed to have them, and making the decision to celebrate everyday and everyone I care about in the new year.