Mondo Beyondo...

Stolen from Keris, who stole it from Superhero Designs... here is a novel way to greet the new year and say goodbye to the old... I kind of like it.

1. What do you want to acknowledge yourself for in regard to 2008? (What did you create? What challenges did you face with courage and strength? What promises did you keep to yourself? What brave choices did you make? What are you proud of?)

This has been, very openly, a mixed year. But acknowledging the positive is really important - I made it to number 2 in the Irish bestseller list with Rainy Days and Tuesdays and number 6 with Feels Like Maybe. Both exceeded my expectations. I finished writing the most challenging book of my career to date 'Jumping in Puddles' and have thus far survived a threatened miscarriage, hyperemesis and a dose of antenatal depression. I'm here - and I'm smiling some of the time - that's good. I lost a good dose of weight - before getting pregnant, putting it on again and then losing it again through the hyperemesis and I am proud that despite it all I'm here and doing the best I can.

2. What is there to grieve about 2008? (What was disappointing? What was scary? What was hard? What can you forgive yourself for?)
I grieve for the sense of security - emotional and financial that I once had. It has been a scary year with my husband starting his own business. And pregnancy has been hard - very hard. But I forgive myself for having negative thoughts about it because, as Oprah would say "I did the best I could with what I had at the time".

3. What else do you need to say about the year to declare it complete?
It's somewhere between Good Riddance and Thank You.

Okay, the next step is to say out loud, "I declare 2008 complete!" How do you feel? If you don't feel quite right, there might be one more thing to say...

The final step is to consider your primary focus for the year to come. What is your primary intention or theme for 2009? Is it the year of joy? The year of self-care? The year of partnership? Stand up and say it proud, "2008 is my year of...."
CONTENTMENT!

It's New Year's Eve...

... And I can't remember the last time I went out and celebrated the big night. In fact my last (semi conscious) memory of New Year's Eve is probably the Millennium Eve where I remember singing 'The Fields of Athenry' at the top of my lungs before my other half (not husband just then) told me to be quiet. And there was me thinking I was the Derry answer to Mary Black...
Generally - and I mean post motherhood - NYE has involved me getting the wee man to sleep as soon as possible and then, after sitting and complaining about the lack of decent telly, going to bed at around 10.30 and do my damndest to be asleep for midnight.
It's not that I don't like the hope of a new year, it's more that I don't do so well with the reflection of the year past. Being a born pessismist I tend to focus on the negative more than the positive and that is so not conducive to a good night's sleep.
I also become an emotional wreck at midnight - positive and negative- and tend to stand over the sleeping boy and cry at how much I love him. Which wakes him up and traumatises him - I mean for the love of God who wants to wake to find their mother sobbing over their bed in the wee small hours?
I'm working tomorrow too - at 9am - and given the current hugemongously pregnant state that I'm in, I don't cope well with less than 10 hours of sleep (including frequent breaks for trips to the toilet, the taking of the middle of the night anti-emetic and the rolling over and listening to my pelvis actually pop back into place).
So for all those celebrating tonight - have fun, drink loads and enjoy yourself. I hope your reflections are positive and your hopes are many.
Tomorrow I think I'll ressurect a best of 2008 post to focus on the positive, but for tonight just wish me sweet dreams.