December ’22 – Beyond the End

The last three months have been chaos. Illness, moving, wedding planning… I went back to Malta at the beginning of December to take care of my dad while my partner spent two weeks packing up our house to be ready to move. We spent Christmas on the Rock, and now, the day before New Year’s, we’re finally settled in our temporary flat in Barcelona.

There’s a tradition in Spain to eat twelve grapes for the twelve chimes of midnight. Some people also make twelve wishes, one for each of the grapes, each representing one of the months of the year.

I’m going to admit that for me, on balance, 2022 felt like a year of disappointments. Looking back, there have been some amazing things in 2022 (going freelance, moving to Barcelona, finalizing our wedding plans), but with the struggles that came before those changes and the lingering illnesses throughout the year, at this point, it’s hard to feel much more than exhausted.

But that’s the good thing about New Year’s. It gives you a chance to look back and plan your course forward. And when I look forward today, I feel hopeful. So ahead of trying to wolf down 12 grapes when the clock chimes midnight on 2022, here are my wishes for 2023:

1. I wish for more joy in my creative life, by reingaging with my writing and fully investing myself in the process, not just the product.
2. I wish for more connections with creative people — writers, editors, artists, musicians — and to find inspiration in the people that surround me.
3. I wish for a continuing sense of comfort and security with my partner, even as we move our lives to a different country.
4. I wish for personal growth, by finding a way to be more present in my relationships with friends and family.
5. I wish for a better awareness of myself and more confidence to do what I know is right.
6. I wish for balance and health: in my body, in my mind, and in my spirit.
7. I wish for more connections and community.
8. I wish for more abundance and joy.
9. I wish for new friends…
10. For new adventures…
11. And for everyone to find whatever it is that makes them feel connected and whole.
12. I wish you all a Happy New Year.

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