Cold, Bitter Truths

Cold, Bitter Truths: Write a letter to yourself exploring the ups, downs, achievements, and missed opportunities of 2023. Put the year up for review and publish your story in the ‘Journal’ community.

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Dear Shirley,

You've had a month to think about this, your ups & downs, achievements, and missed opportunities of 2023. So, dig in to the truth, even if it hurts.

Ups:

~I haven't allowed fibromyalgia to incapacitate every waking moment of my life. I've found a balance with medicine, light exercise, and rest.

~I found inner peace... I said farewell to a twenty-year marriage and found peace in being alone.

~I had moments that go into the photo album of my heart. There was a family reunion/softball tournament which my niece, Alaana played in. She plays softball for Dartmouth (Go Big Green!) and her team came to Mississippi to play in a tournament at Mississippi State University. My daughters and their children all joined us (my sister, my brother, and I) there and we had a great get together. My niece scored the only home run hit against MSU and I got to see it. One proud aunt :)

~I had two grandsons graduate high school and start college in 2023 and one of my granddaughters was academically bumped up a year and will graduate from high school this coming May! One proud Nana!

Downs:

~I said goodbye to my oldest and dearest friend, Baby Gee. My beautiful black cat who graced me with love and comfort for eighteen years died in my arms. That was hard, but I cherish those years with him.

~It's also been very difficult for me to see the lives of my adult children in transitions such as losing jobs, having a scare about possible breast cancer, being in toxic relationships, and being strangled by addictions. (My faith keeps me calm and hopeful, though.)

~Finances are a budgeting act for all Americans as we are facing a downward spiral in our economy. I'm a senior citizen on a fixed income, so it's taught me to look for bargains and become more frugal.

Achievements:

~I survived the challenges of the past year. As I age, I recognize that each day is a gift. Not everyone my age (69) can say they survived because they haven't!

~I wrote and published a total of thirty poems and stories on Vocal. Of these thirty, three became Top Stories from different communities (Journal, Writers, Psyche.) I was surprised to find out that twelve of my submissions had been poems. I wrote in thirteen different communities.

~One of the poems I wrote was a Villanelle tribute to my precious grandchild, Jade Elizabeth. It took me five years to be able to do that. The grieving process is on its own timetable.

Missed Opportunities:

~As I was looking back on 2023 from a Vocal aspect, I realized there had been a six-month gap in my writing/publishing. Although I had been doing genealogy and ancestry research that I was later able to use in some of my stories, I had neglected reading and writing on the platform.

~I'm sure I've missed out on life from my lack of willingness to socialize in a church setting. I'm sorry, it's not God I avoid. It's the added drama. I have thoroughly enjoyed the camaraderie I feel from other Creators on Vocal, though.

So, Shirley, learn from the year 2023 and be willing to take more chances in 2024. Don't get stuck in patterns that aren't healthy. Continue to write because it has helped you to heal.

Always,

Shirley

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