Looking Back at 2024: A Year of Transformation and Reflection
As the curtain begins to close on 2024, I find myself looking back on what has truly been a transformative year. This was my “health-focused” year, and what a year it has been!
The numbers tell part of the story. I’ve shed 94 pounds in 2024 alone, bringing my total weight loss since September 1, 2023, to an astonishing 150 pounds—an interim goal I reached just this morning! I logged an incredible 3,427,266 steps over the year, with morning walks covering 893 miles in 299 hours and 50 minutes. Add to that a new strength and resistance training routine at the YMCA. Thus begins the hard work of tightening things up.
Meanwhile, Lay finally committed to cardiac rehab after his open-heart surgery in December 2023. Seeing his progress has been one of the highlights of the year. He’s doing much better, and it’s a relief.
This year was also a milestone for me as I turned 65. I’ve found myself more reflective, often thinking about the people and experiences that have shaped me. I made a deliberate effort to reach out to friends I hadn’t spoken to in years. It was deeply gratifying to reconnect and enjoy some wonderfully long conversations. On the flip side, I regret not being able to re-establish contact with two old college friends who meant a great deal to me. One of them once extended to me the kindest gesture I have ever experienced, a story I plan to share in an upcoming blog post.
On the family front, I am endlessly grateful that my 91-year-old mother continues to live at home. Visiting her more regularly has become a cherished routine, and our time together feels even more precious as the years roll on.
This year, we also survived the twin tempests of hurricanes Helene and Milton with minimal damage, just some cleanup around the house. Unfortunately, many neighbors weren’t as lucky, a reminder of how fragile yet resilient our communities can be.
Professionally, 2024 has been intense. As the product owner of a solution we are customizing and implementing for a government project, I’ve been heavily engaged in guiding the development of a prototype system under a tight deadline as part of a competitive process. We won the competition (cue the confetti!) and have met our first big deadline with the client. Just as I was about to breathe, my manager handed me a year-end to-do list with three projects, two of which were “significant.” Thankfully, I discovered that AI—particularly ChatGPT—could shoulder some of the load, albeit with mixed results. AI has proven to be a promising partner, and I look forward to leveraging it more in the future.
And then, of course, it was a year of politics of every sort. The Republican-led Florida Legislature and DeSantis continued their campaign of terror and cruelty against marginalized communities, and every indication is that this year will be more of the same. And then the disappointment of seeing so many people I thought knew better vote for Donald Trump.
Looking ahead to 2025, I’m determined to lose the final 30 pounds to hit my goal weight and—fingers crossed—migrate off medications for blood pressure and blood sugar control. My fantastic PA has been my partner on this journey, and I feel confident we’ll get there.
I’m also setting my sights on achieving the gold-standard professional certification in my field—a goal that’s been sitting on the back burner for far too long. On a more personal note, I hope to visit some of the friends I’ve reconnected with this year and will keep hoping to hear from the two friends I miss dearly.
I hope to continue several social justice initiatives I’m working on. Some through the Social Justice group at my church, Hyde Park United Methodist, and others with other people and groups. I will continue to hold accountable those people who are supposed to represent me.
So here’s to 2024—a year of progress, resilience, and gratitude. Here’s to 2025—a year of finishing what I’ve started and embracing new opportunities. Let’s see where the road leads next.
