A Reflection of the Past Year
By Fran DeNunzio
It’s hard to believe that we are already nearing the end of January. It feels like we just said goodbye to 2021 and started the new year. I think it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of a new year and the idea of “starting with a clean slate.” However, I think that prevents us from reflecting on everything we encountered in the year we just wrapped up.
As I’ve gotten older, I feel that each year passes by faster than the one before, and it really overwhelms me. Personally, I feel that it’s harder to grapple with the unbelievably quick passage of time if we neglect a proper reflection of our experiences from the year before. This is honestly the first time I have truly reflected over what I went through this past year – the good, the bad, and everything in between – instead of just charging towards everything this upcoming year has to offer. I think it’s provided me with a lot of peace in terms of accepting that another year of my life has seemingly flown by.
There were three things that I focused on in terms of my reflection of 2021: growth, grief, and gratitude.
Growth – I pushed myself outside of my comfort zone by accepting a summer job that would force me to be working in many different hospital units, allowing me to practice a variety of nursing skills so that I could increase my confidence as a student nurse. I finally worked on motivating myself to develop a consistent exercise routine; even though I’ve struggled with working out for years, I knew that I needed to start truly prioritizing my physical health. Throughout college I have had trouble allowing myself to have a healthy work-life balance. I often found myself choosing school over having fun. Finally, as a senior, I was able to realize that school isn’t everything, memories last longer than grades, and if you are still putting in the work and trying your best, you deserve to have fun and choose to prioritize other things in life over school. Lastly, as a relatively unathletic person, I randomly decided to sign up for an intramural dodgeball team, not having ever played dodgeball, and ended up having the best time. Three years ago, I never would have even considered it, as I was too afraid to embarrass myself in front of others.
Grief – Every year comes with its difficult moments. I grieved the loss of my childhood dog, a moment that I had been dreading for years. I grieved at the way the world is hurting so badly, with the immense injustice that people are facing every day. I grieved at the deteriorating state of the environment. I grieved at the way the healthcare system is crumbling under the weight of a never-ending pandemic. I grieved at the lack of compassion and kindness that we now seem to witness on a day-to-day basis. I grieved at my realization that some people simply don’t care about the well-being of others and that selfishness is rampant in this world. I grieved the start of my senior year, struggling to come to terms with the fact that my time on this campus is slowly coming to an end. I grieved the loss of relationships, accepting the fact that some friendships aren’t meant to last forever and that sometimes family members don’t deserve to be in your life. Lastly, I grieved at the difficulties that growing up seems to bring, knowing that I’m not quite ready to be a working adult yet.
Gratitude – I felt an immense amount of gratitude for the wonderful people in my life. I am eternally grateful to have a loving family and incredible friends who bring so much meaning to my life. I am grateful to have met new people and formed new friendships. I am grateful for my pets. I am grateful for my education and the experiences that I have been fortunate enough to have as a Villanova student. I am grateful for nature. I am grateful to have finally gotten relief from my anxiety. I am grateful for music and being able to go back to concerts last year. I am grateful for having the opportunity to get vaccinated, to finally have hope for the future after a year and a half of uncertainty. I am grateful to have finally found a means of exercising that I enjoy. I am grateful for the little things that bring moments of happiness to my day-to-day life. I am grateful for my room at school, bringing me a peaceful and cozy environment that I can always seek comfort in. I am grateful for personal growth. I am grateful for another year of good health. I am grateful for another year of life.
I feel that most of my experiences can be put into one of those categories and I think they are important things to consider because they encompass the rollercoaster of life that each passing year is. I don’t think that you can define a single year as simply good or bad, as each year is a mix of endless experiences and emotions that leave a lasting impact on your life.
This is how I have been able to come to terms with my experiences in 2021. I hope that you’re able to slow down and dedicate some time to appreciating your experiences in the past year, and I also hope that this can provide you with a new mindset to view the year ahead.
