But I Smile Anyway…

Another new year has arrived.

Hello, 2025.

And wishing you all a Happy New Year, too!

Welcome to 2025!

Yup, a new year has begun. A new chapter in the book of our lives.

2024 has brought additional strife, worldwide, with war and politics

We have a new government, promising all sorts, but not doing much yet.

Personally, I’ve had many positives.

After a year of not being able to write, I finally finished book three, and In God’s Hands was published in November.

Lil Princess passed her GCSEs against many odds, and started 6th form with a much more positive outlook on life.

Lil Man passed his driving test, so half my mum taxi duties are now retired!

Meeting lots of lovely writers folk at the RNA Conference, and book events!

Though, there have been lows; with my own health, seeing precious ones around me with health faltering.

Work is getting tougher. I don’t know if getting older makes it harder, but demands on teachers are high. Children changing, the world changing, but curriculum and expectations staying the same make life at school pretty tough.

Now, as you are aware, I have chosen a word to accompany that year over the last few years, as I haven’t set resolutions.

• 2019 – it was SELF. And I am happy to say I have been pretty good at keeping that self-care up since then, too!
• 2020 – BELIEVE. Well, let’s all agree that 2020 was a kinda unbelievable year, all in all, with the pandemic and BLM… However, I did believe. And my beliefs meant that 2020 was the year I finally became a published author!
• 2021 – I chose the word HOPE. I think we all needed hope to pull us through what I found to be a tougher year than 2020 in many ways. I travelled through it, exhausted and worried about everyone and everything around me. But I did keep that hope alive, within.
• 2022 – my choice was CREATE. I’d like to think that I managed a bit of all that I had hoped to achieve!
• 2023 – I chose the word STRENGTH. I started with a different thought in my mind, regarding the meaning of that word. Reaching the end of this year, I know I have gained strength, but in ways I never thought I would be tested.
• 2024 was BALANCE. I was determined to being more balance to my life in all aspects.

So, last year I centred my Word Of The Year aspirations on these three things.

• Create Balance in my home life

We are still working on this as a family, but everyone is trying hard to do more, so we share the load, meaning Mummy isn’t responsible for everything. Also, giving the others responsibility for their choices, means I don’t feel responsible for absolutely everything.

• Balance my work/home life to leave time for my writing

I did manage this, I’m happy to say! Once my writing mojo reappeared, I was focused on making time for my passion for words. Then I took a break. I’ll continue to put this as a priority, because there are many more stories in me!

• Balance time for myself along with time for others

Yes! Forever, the needs of everyone else took precedence over mine. There was no balance. I was always at the bottom of the list of priorities. I feel like I have, over this year, begun to put me first sometimes, now, but I’m a work in progress!

So, which word do I add to my list for 2025?

I thought long and hard because 2025 is the year I turn 50! 

So many words spun around my mind, but this one just came bouncing bsck, every time:

Change

• Change my priorities to ensure I am near the top
• Change my lifestyle to suit the everchanging needs of my health
• Think about about a big Change I hope to make with my work life in the next couple of years

And with this post, off I go to start that new year, filled with Self, Belief, Hope, Creation, Strength, Balance and CHANGE!