The end of one year and the start of a new year is always a time of reflection. Did I meet my goals for the past year? What were my successes, my failures? Did I use my time wisely? Did I improve as a person? There is always room for improvement! And the start of the new year is the time to implement those changes that lead to improvement.
I must confess here. For the past two years I have been struggling with health issues, with no apparent resolution. I’ve visited many doctors and specialists, had many tests, and no one has any ideas as to the problems I’ve been having. The best information I’ve gotten is that it’s not my thyroid. The problems seem to have two primary symptoms, and perhaps are unrelated. The first is I do have nodules on my thyroid. I’ve been assured that they aren’t cancerous, and the nodules are being monitored. But it has affected my ability to sing, which has been a huge part of my life. And, I have a perpetual sore throat. When the symptoms first appeared I thought it was the lingering affects of a cold, but when there was no improvement I had to start looking for other answers.
The other problem is fatigue. It may be related to the first problem, but it may not. A year and a half ago, I walked 4 miles a day then did an hour of Jazzercise. Now, I can barely walk 2 miles, and if I go to the grocery store I’m exhausted by the end of the trip. There seem to be no answers to this problem.
So, how is this pertinent to stitching? The problems are beginning to play on my mental state, making it difficult for me to want to stitch. I have to force myself to keep working, and creativity seems to have fled as well.
As a result of these problems, my goals for the new year are vastly different than previous years. My goal is to get done those things that need to get done – new designs for class proposals, preparing class kits, and encouraging creativity through some specific exercises. I also want to write more in my blog. It may not always be about stitching, but I hope it will be still be interesting.
I have a new understanding and sympathy for the way health affects energy levels. So if any of you need a sympathetic ear, I’m listening.