As today is the last Wednesday of 2024, it’s time for a review of the year. I always enjoy looking back on the highs, lows, and everything in between before one year ends and the next begins. It’s a great way to remember some of the hidden gems that accompany every year, think about how to overcome repeated challenges going forward, and figure out how to make next year better. Here’s my take on 2024.
This has been one of the hardest years of my life, and the hardest once since 2022. For most of 2024, I was plagued with health problems, financial issues, relationship trouble, and lots of emotional pain. Although I had released lots of pain around my dog Sawyer’s death, I still had plenty of other pain in other areas, especially my efforts to rebuild my financial situation and other aspects of my life that were either immediately demolished or gradually whittled away after Sawyer died. The constant ups and downs of 2024 made my efforts to rebuild extremely difficult and generally limited in their success.
I said goodbye to a lot this year: humans, animal friends, interests, certain group activities, places, the business I started in late 2021 and never used, and a few of my favorite beard care product scents. In some cases, I wanted those parts of my life to continue and losing them was quite painful. In other cases, I was glad to see them go. Even then, there was still pain involved in losing familiar parts of my life. The most painful goodbyes were my grandmother and the house that she and my grandfather lived in for most of my life. While I can still go to their house at the time of this writing, that will only be the case for a little while longer, and it looks quite different since much of the furniture and other possessions in the house have been removed. I felt sad that there was no family Christmas visit there this year, as there was for the past two years in a row and many other years going back to when I was a little kid. Another beloved Christmas tradition has come to an end.
Similarly to 2017, much of 2024 knocked me down repeatedly every time I got back up, and the year seemed to take just as much as it gave. Fortunately, as with 2017, 2024 got better toward the end. My financial situation improved a lot, my health has gotten way better, my relationships are slowly progressing, and the gigs I had in December were wonderful. Dickens on Centre, which I’ve now done for three years, was especially special. That’s always the biggest event I do. Although the abundant rain and wind made things much more difficult for everyone, we all pulled through and had fun performing for everyone who came to enjoy the experience. I believe that I performed better this year than I have in either of the other years I’ve done this event. Similarly, the How the Big Band Stole Christmas shows went splendidly and featured the best juggling and unicycling I’ve done onstage, and possibly in any performances I’ve ever done. It was wonderful to be part of such an amazing show and be around so many talented people who were all at their best and came together to make it happen.
I feared that a bit of unexpected car trouble halfway through this month would undo most of my progress this year, especially the financial progress. To my surprise and tremendous relief, it turned out to be a quick, easy fix that cost me less than $10. That got me right back on track and had me feeling good again within an hour. Although I would have preferred it if that issue hadn’t arisen in the first place, I’m glad it turned out to be such a small, inexpensive problem. I’m glad to report that the rest of December went smoothly for me, including today. I had a lovely Christmas at home with family and then elsewhere with extended family before taking a long walk around my neighborhood to see the lights and decorations. Even though it’s my third Christmas without Sawyer and my first without my grandmother, I enjoyed the day and only cried a little bit. It was my best Christmas in many years, and I’m so thankful for that.
I wish 2024 had been a better year for me and several other folks I know who also seem to have had an exceptionally hard year. I’m glad that it’s coming in for a smooth landing. The week between Christmas and the new year can often be disorienting, but it can also offer some rest that most of December doesn’t allow. I look forward to that rest, and I hope that 2025 will be an easier, kinder, gentler, and more enjoyable year for me and everyone else. We could all use a break before life breaks us any further.