At the end of the year I often find myself looking back and musing about the events/happenings that occurred that year. In any given year there will be “good” things and “bad” things to reflect upon. Some of these events are not necessarily impactful for me or my loved ones personally but many are very much life-affecting. I am certain that every one of you similarly have experienced events in the past year that have impacted your lives.
There are a number of categories that these events will fall into including:
- World events such as the war raging in Ukraine
- Family events such as the birth of a child/grandchild, graduations, achievements in sports by a family member, special vacations together etc
- Work occurrences such as a change in job, new contracts, change in leadership etc
- Business events such as inflation, mortgage rate changes, impending recession etc.
On the “personal” side of things, the year could have been a very “quiet” one with no major changes in the workplace, stable family issues, etc.
There will be no more dominating, important or impactful event that the year would be remembered for than a health event to a loved one or to you. Losing a loved one or personally, going through a major medical issue/procedure can have the capacity of taking a “good” year and turning this into one of the worst one ever experienced.
In reflecting on the year, there will be events/occurrences that are completely outside of our control such as the Russian invasion of Ukraine, whether our favorite sports teams make the playoffs, how economic cycles transpire etc. On the healthcare front, there are also things that occur that are outside of our control such as a parent developing Alzheimer’s Disease, a skin cancer that develops, having a reaction to a Covid booster etc.
However, there are health related events that occur that could have been impacted/avoided by lifestyle changes. As the next year approaches and we all envision what is in front of us as opposed to reflecting on the previous year, let’s all try our best to set ourselves up for a “good” year of health. There is no better way to enact this plan than becoming much more vigilant and focused on weight control.
Here is a last year-end reflection from me: I once again feel blessed to have been able to have had another year of being able to throw my white coat on, stethoscope around my neck, prescription pad in my pocket and continue being your doctor. Thank you!
And here is Diana Ross and the Supremes singing about “Reflections”
