A bit early I know but what are the highs and lows of your year?

[Fantina]

I admit I’m feeling a bit fed up as I contemplate the end of the year approaching and it made me think that I haven’t achieved much in 2023.

I’m stagnating at work, due to my own dwindling interest, and my preference would be to find a new challenge but this role works v well for me as a single mum so it’s sensible to stick it out for a few more years.

I had unexpected major surgery this year after an accident which has affected my mobility and although it has vastly improved from when it happened, I’ll never get back to my favourite hobby and some friends have inevitably drifted away.

My weight has gone up as a result.

I’m genuinely struggling to think of any highs apart from thinking the accident could have been worse and I have got a lot of mobility back if not all.

So, share your highs and lows with me. I’m thinking of giving my diet some focus so that I can turn the tide on something before the year is out.

Lows

31 Jan - beloved aunt died following massive cardiac arrest, and 12 day coma
2 Feb - global project launched after 18 months of work, slept on office floor for two nights, but we had to roll back. Had minor nervous breakdown
2 Mar - aunts funeral in UK
10 Mar - routine trip to vet, told that dog wasn't in a good way
26 Mar - DS1 suffers head injury, rushed to ER, suspected fracture skull (thankfully only concussion)
27 Mar - dog PTS but I couldn't be with him as one of us needed to stay with concussed child.

Along with plenty of other shite that went on, the first 3 months of this year was an absolute car crash in the history of awful shit that happened.
It was like watching a storm roll in and you know you can't deal with it because there's another storm right behind it.

Highs
6 Apr- global project finally launched successfully
10 Apr - took kids to Breckenridge and had a great time playing in the first snow they've ever seen
May - quit drinking
July - shopping weekend in Miami
Sept - celebrated my parents 50th wedding anniversary in the Uk, threw a massive party

As of today, I've dropped 20lbs since April and now have one of those bodies you see onPinterest when you search for motivational pictures of women with gym physique.
I'm over 5 months sober and don't miss it in the slightest.
I'm training consistently and absolutely love it.
Have another global project in the works
Working on quitting vaping and caffeine.

Despite the awful lows of earlier this year, there are always fantastic highs and I continue to enjoy them.

Highs new house, new dog. Kids doing well and thriving
lows, dd stalked and threatened ex trying to stop her ever dating and threatening violence, as well as working ridiculous hours to get her business of the ground. Multiple panicked calls that she would grow old alone and never have kids because of this guy. Two midnight trips to bring her home (hate driving in the dark) for a day or two. She’s planning to escape next year and basically disappear off sM/ go dark until the nutcase gets bored.
Cost of living stuff
bereavement

High - finally managed to buy a house in January (after two years of purchases falling through last minute).

Massive low - diagnosed with breast cancer in March.

High - beating breast cancer and finishing active treatment in November 😊

@Emmylou22 me too - except diagnosed in May and due to start radiotherapy next week. Will still be having immunotherapy for another 6 months or so and all the other stuff that carries on after, but I wish you all the best going forward.

Highs for me - finding out I look quite good with no hair!
Finding out how supportive my sisters are
Realising just how fantastic my husband is

All the best to you too! It's amazing how much has happened since diagnosis. I'm starting radiotherapy too on 6 Nov.

I'm glad you've had such wonderful support. And that you rock the hairless look! Mine is super fluffy now it's growing back.

Highs - both DC graduated with Firsts from their unis
Travelled to some amazing places alone for the first time ever
Bit of career development which I loved

Lows - both DC leaving home and coming down with terrible empty nest syndrome which meant I didn't enjoy the travel as much as I hoped, just felt a bit flat
Stopped going to fitness classes and regained most of the weight I lost, while losing a lot of the strength and suppleness I'd gained
DS has had some serious health problems again
Neither DC has a permanent job yet.
Beloved cat of 18 years died.

Highs..
Dd1 being accepted for her Masters
Ds getting a contract as a musician
My brother finally coming home from China post Covid and meeting my adorable new Chinese sister in law
A friend receiving a Royal honour.

Lows
Dd1s continued poor mental health
My mother's deterioration and the onset of dementia
Fibromyalgia
Visiting my best friend's grave for the first time

Lows:
Work place bullying
Realisations about my family
Stress
Didn’t lose the weight

Pros:
Found a new job
Finished postgraduate studies
Fell deeper in love
Made new friends
Emerged with greater confidence

Highs
Ds flourishing at school
A nice holiday and some lovely days out
Getting my longed for puppy

Lows
Deciding our marriage was over. Which happened tonight.

Highs: getting my first permanent job after 15 years as a freelancer and I absolutely love it.

Lows: meeting the man I think is the love of my life but neither of us can act on our feelings as we are both married and have complicated home situations that need to stay stable.

Oh @DueyCheatemAndHow let’s hope that this time next year your post would be full of upsides to that decision.

Highs:
North Coast 500 trip with DH
California trip with DH
Devon and Cornwall trips with DH

Low: DH died in July, he was ill, hence the special trips earlier in the year

Lows:

Ds7 nearly died, diagnosed with type one diabetes as a result.
Had a falling out with the in laws, I now speak to none of them.
Stress, stress, stress.

Highs:

Getting ds7 CGM and having my first full nights sleep in 6 months.
Ds12 getting a glowing school report and being told he's the top of his year at his Sen school (after years of professionals telling me he'd never amount to anything!)
Making new friends.
Got a lovely new car which has given me some independence back.

Thank you #Fantina. It's all a bit of a shock.

Highs
2 lovely holidays
Joined a lovely gym
Lost 2st
DD doing brilliantly in a sport that she loves

Lows
Lots of low level 'niggles' - friendship groups disintegrating, strained relationships with wider family, couple of issues at DS school

All in all, I've definitely had better years.

Highs - changed jobs, which has been good for my mental health, more financially better off

Lows - still grieving for a loved one. Struggling with menopause symptoms, always upsetting someone, parents treat me badly

@DueyCheatemAndHow When if happened to me I remember wanting to tell the staff in Costa the next morning before work. It was like it was a mind blowing news event that I had to let people know about. It was so blindsided by my own decision! Things do get better x

Oh @AKAanothername i read your highs smiling thinking ‘how lovely’ and then I got to your low. I’m so sorry for your loss. I hope those wonderful trips have made memories for life for you.

I think what this thread is illustrating is that we are all grappling with the lows mingled in with some highs of varying degrees.

My mam died suddenly just after Christmas and then my dad almost died a week later and my husband left me 2 days after that so I had a shitty start to the year.., I have now got a new job which I am absolutely loving, husband is back and I've just found out im pregnant so a complete turnaround towards the end of the year..

Low - Nothing major thankfully, fingers crossed it stays that way. Just the usual stresses.

Highs - I took my kids to Disneyland and it was so magical!
I started my degree this year with the OU and passed my first module with a distinction. I know it's only the beginning but as a single working mum finding the time hasn't been easy. So I would have been happy just to pass but I am feeling very proud of my distinction

My sister remarried after being widowed, it was the first big family get together since covid. I spent 3 weeks back in my hometown and had lovely weather mainly and then went on holiday with DH, DS and his GF for the first time. We also introduced her to my side of the family, I live a long way from where I grew up it’s around a 4.5 hour journey.

My DS Godfather left his wife for a much younger woman, it’s actually awful and I have been there for her though he was my original friend. A newer friend showed her true colours so I pulled away, she actually showed an awful side of her to me. One of my sisters had to have 2 emergency operations this year, she sadly missed the wedding.

I was going to say flying an aeroplane for the first time, but then I remembered I also got married and had the most incredible honeymoon 🤩 Definitely the highest highs.

Low? Broken roof tiles causing a lot of damage from the rain.

Sorry to hear you've had a rough year. Is there any way you can arrange a high in the remaining couple of months of 2023? Can you do something as a treat?

My highs:
Wedding in Poland with uni friends followed by a week in Spain with family, including seeing my brother who lives in Australia and his family
We bought a house!
Oh and I guess I started a new job as a manager in Jan
Lows:
Being pretty much bed bound since start of Sept with hyperemesis.
House isn't ready yet and it's hard to move house and arrange building work and tradespeople while I'm so sick

Tbh my highs and lows look really low grade but anyway

Highs
booked my wedding

lows
haven’t managed to fall pregnant naturally, as hoped after several losses.