Well, 2024 is officially behind us, and while the year certainly ended with a pneumonia-laden whimper, I definitely can’t complain about all of the adventures, experiences and growth that the past twelve months have given. While it may be customary to use the chaining of year to look forward and make our resolutions (and yes, we’ll get to that too), my preferred January exercise is to first reflect on everything that just took place. Thinking, looking and planning forward is certainly a valuable practice, but I don’t want those endeavours to take away from the memories I’ve spent the past 365 building.
Of course the first thing that comes to mind is that our family went to Disney. It was a trip that was 2+ years in the making and, alongside our girls, we planned out an adventure that we certainly won’t soon forget. From fancy princess dinners, remarkable firework showcases, extreme roller coaster thrills, and immersive inter-galactic adventures, to countless trips around the lazy river, slow-paced mini golf and exciting new escape rooms, we managed to squeeze every ounce out of the 10-days we spent in Orlando, and I couldn’t be prouder of the girls sense of adventure and travel. I don’t know that we’ll ever go back to Disney, and I don’t know that we’ll ever need to; we hoped for a trip of a lifetime, and we got exactly that.
It was a year of growth
Everyone in our family, at some point throughout the year, experienced some form of growth and development. Whether it was completing professional courses, starting at a new school, expanding upon franchises, or literally outgrowing every pair of pants, shoes, skis, skates, bike or helmet, we all ended this year in a state of being that is greater than when it started. Some of these opportunities were purposeful and sought out, while other happened upon us naturally, but regardless of the ‘how’ it came about, the fact remains that we each embraced an opportunity to challenge and push ourselves to try. The growth was never easy, but it also wasn’t expected to be; in fact, if it were, then that wouldn’t have really been growth in the first place. I am proud of each member of the Beandricks team for their bravery and confidence to try.
It was a year of laughter
Whether it was hiding 150 Santa hats, telling jokes around the dinner table, finding puns at every opportunity, or pulling odd pranks on each other, there was no shortage of laughs in 2024. As a value in our home even before the kids were born, humour has a role in our lives that we are proud to express daily. Over this past year more than others, however, I’ve started to see the girls sense of humour develop from not just laughing at the joke but actively participating in it. They have developed a sense of comedic timing, are honing the proper sarcastic sensibilities, and genuinely make me laugh out loud. To laugh at yourself is to love yourself and there is a lot of love in this house.
It was a year of patience
I committed myself to patience in 2024 by declaring it my word of the year. Was I successful 100% of the time? Absolutely not, but I don’t strive for perfection, I strive for progress, and on that front I did quite well to allow myself more time to achieve goals, I took more breaths between thoughts and decisions, and I took one whole year to complete a single Lego kit…which, now that I’ve proven I can do it, I don’t need to try that again. 2025 will have a new word.
Alison and I are fortunate for the people we have in our lives. We have family who supports and loves one another, and whether we are spending time picnicking at the park, going to the ballet, tubing through Winterlude, or walking through the market, it’s pretty awesome that the girls get to know and appreciate that their family extends beyond the walls of our home.
Then, of course there are our friends – my goodness what a great crew of people we get to call upon. This year saw the celebration of multiple 40th birthdays and so what better way to celebrate than to bring 50 people together for a kick-ass backyard party? Full of music, food, games, dancing, laughter, drink and merriment, we had an absolute blast getting to see the faces of those we don’t necessarily get to see so often. Whether they fame from Guelph, Kingston, Barrie or Dawson City, it was a party to remember and we shouldn’t wait another 40-years to do it.
What will next year bring?
I don’t love resolutions because they seem fleeting and somewhat impulsive. I do, however, enjoy thinking about goals, the things I hope to accomplish and the ways in which I aim to grow.
For Christmas this year my family made me a calendar, which in an of itself would have been enough and genuinely brought tears to my eyes, but of course that wasn’t all there was to it. Each month of the year has an event, adventure, or experience planned and scheduled to look forward to, so when I think of the things I want in the year ahead, the work is already half done for me. Quality time with my family is the thing that brings me most joy, so I’m happy to say that I can confidently check that goal off already.
There are many more things I aim to accomplish throughout 2025 and I won’t bore you with their details. I will, however, state that I do have a new work for this year, which is ‘Outlook’.
Whether it is in our workplace, our home, or walking down the street, we all experience moments and sights of frustration and eye-rolls, and this year rather than accept that frustration into my hear, I am going to try my best and considering a different outlook. I can’t necessarily change the things that annoy me, but I can shift my perspective and do my best to either understand it, or recognize that I can’t possibly wrap my head around, but, hey, that’s ok – I don’t need to pay attention to it. I won’t be able to do this with everything and I won’t change my morals, ethics or values to accommodate, but I can try my best to see things a little bit differently.
Happy New Year, everyone, I hope that 2024 brought you some incredible memories, and that 2025 is a year to look forward to.
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