Reflecting on 2019–Jane Austen’s Way
In Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen wrote:
Think only of the past as its remembrance gives you pleasure.
I’ve read a lot of facebook posts talking about how 2019 was a really rough year. I get it. 2017 was a doozy around here. And there were more than a few moment of 2019 that I’d really rather not dwell upon. (TS Imelda, I’m looking squarely at you!)
So I’ve decided to take Jane Austen’s advice and look back on the good things from 2019 rather than those whose remembrance is less than pleasant.
So what was good in 2019?
My eldest son and daughter-in-law presented me with my second grandson.
My middle son graduated law school, passed the bar, and got the job he really wanted.
My youngest son started an unexpected internship that he loves.
My hubby celebrated his first anniversary in his new job.
We took a memorable vacation with two of our boys, with once in a lifetime experiences.
Pemberley: Mr. Darcy’s Dragon hit the number one spot in Historical Fiction and all four dragon books ranked in the top ten Historical Fiction.
I started teaching again, including some writing classes for Kristen Lamb’s Bad Lamb Academy.
We learned we will be grandparents again next summer.
So, in spite of all the seriously icky things that happened in 2019 (and don’t get me wrong, there were definitely some ugly ones) I will choose to remember these good things and look forward to what’s to come in 2020.
Oh you definitely have some pleasurable memories there! Plus the news of a new arrival for this year!
I don’t have so many for last year I’m afraid. My daughter and her family were unable to visit from Sydney (and of course are now affected by the terrible fires) My Mum who is 91 next week and registered blind had to move into a home although it is a lovely place with fabulous, kind, caring staff so that’s great.
On the plus side my son’s twin boys reached the great age of 3 (they were born 10 weeks early and one had a hole in a chest artery which thankfully closed up) they are now both wonderful adventurous little boys who love to sing along to Queen songs such as Bohemian Rhapsody and Radio Gaga – loudly! 🙂
I also met up with Joana Starnes and Rita Deodato at Pemberley (aka Lyme Park) very early in the year and Joana and I went again just before Christmas.
I won’t mention the amount of rain we’ve had this year as obviously many people have had it much worse and Australia are crying out for it.
I’m hoping that 2020 turns out to be a great year for us all so good luck to you.
Happy writing and well deserved accolades for the dragon series, loved it!
Good for you! I must think on what was good about 2019.
I’m afraid I’m one of the “Year of the Pig is a pig of a year” people. Loss of a second beloved dog just seven months after the first. Hubby had a heart attack less then two months later. A dear friend lost a nasty tussle with cancer less than two months after that at only 59. My 85 year old aunt ended up in hospital in November after a fall and is now in the process of moving into a care home.
On the plus side? Hubby survived his heart attack and we were able to get away on holiday. We went to Wales, where we saw lots of dragons. Not surprising, as it’s one of their national symbols and there’s a red one on the Welsh flag. They must have been speaking Welsh as I couldn’t understand a word they said!
Many congrats on the accolade for your dragon books. They’re up at the top amongst my favourite Austenesque reads, ever.
Congratulations on all those wonderful things. I have a journal where I periodically write all the things for which I am grateful. I suppose it is similar to Austen’s way. Perhaps I should retitle it. LOL! I think it is good to have an attitude of gratitude. I feel so much better when I do focus on the good things. Yes, there have been horrid things in all our lives. But… somewhere in all that horrid mess was a bright light that says, ‘this too shall pass.’ I am determined to do better this year… in spite of the horrid. Blessings, Maria Grace, to you and yours. Hold your head up high and blaze on.
Good for you looking on the bright side and congrats on all those good things. Yes I’ve had a few bad times this year but there is one thing I am truly grateful for and out weighs the bad, my daughter, whom I have been caring for the last nine years or so, has over come her mental health issues and went back to college. She is doing a Performing Arts degree and absolutely loves it! She has also moved away from home for the first time ever, at 31 and is doing fine. I’m so thrilled for her. She’s been through hell and now hopefully her life is finally up and running.
Hope 2020 is good for all. Here’s hoping!
Teresa, I see your name in comments in some of the blogs I visit, so I recognize it. I just wanted to say I am prayerfully pulling for your daughter. I just took your comment to heart. For you and for her God bless in every way. I’ve a dear friend whose daughter went through something not unlike what you mentioned and watching our friends agonize over their daughter, trying everything in their power to help in any way for years, and just live in hope until something ‘clicked.’ Which is to say through a lot of hard work. And now that young woman is doing amazing things. The feelings of gratitude and pride on behalf of friends, because yes, we were all praying for them, cannot be described. So I’m rejoicing for you Teresa, and for your daughter on your behalf. Thank you for sharing some of your heart with us. I hope 2020 is good to you too!
Thank you so much for your wonderful comments and thoughts Michelle. You obviously know, through your friends experience, how tough it can be. I’m so delighted for my lovely girl that things have worked out for her. She really is a lovely person. She loves family and was always the life and soul of our house until this struck. Fingers crossed for the future and I will remember your friends daughter too in my prayers.
Congratulations Maria on all the lovely things on your Thankful List, they are all truly wonderful. Your Dragon books deserved all the accolades they got. I loved the audio version of Book 1 and working on getting Book 2. You’re a Grandma! Twice! What blessings your family has with new life arriving. You and Hubby must be incredibly proud of your boys’ accomplishments this year. Blessings all around.
Our personal lives except for a couple small things, was for the most part pretty quiet this year. Thank You God!! It was 2018 that was horrible for us. And finally after 2 1/2 years we were able to travel just a little bit and visit our son and his girl in Oregon, and that was great. Included during that travel was a side trip where we attended a romance writer’s retreat just so I could meet a writer friend from Australia, which was such a blast. (She’s safe right now, although her brother’s family has had to evacuate.) I wasn’t expecting anything out of that event except to get to meet her in person but the whole experience was amazing. My husband got to do something in 2019 he had talked about doing for a very long time, for ‘when he retired.’ And that was teach a class at his alma mater. That happened this past Fall. He enjoyed doing it, he got to ‘scratch that itch’ that wouldn’t let him go, and he managed it well without letting his blood pressure take over. And I was so happy for him. After emergency open heart surgery, a new valve, a new aorta in ’18, that dream had pretty much died. At the end of ’18 we were taking deep breaths and counting all of our miraculous blessings.
Our state had a rough winter last year with record snowfall, and utterly destructive flooding in the Spring. There is farm land that is lost forever. So far this winter, we’re experiencing a bit milder weather in comparison although it’s snowing to beat the band out there right now. Kind of holding our collective breaths.
Thank you for bringing us such great stuff on your blog this year, Maria. Here’s to a better 2020 for all of us.