Finding Hope: A New Year’s Resolution
My New Year did not start off as planned, I found myself faced with issues of mortality. The choice between life and death doesn’t always get placed in our hands. However, I soon found myself having to play God and forced to make a very personal and sensitive decision.
Without getting into painful specifics that I might one day write about, I’ll just summarize. I suffered a major loss one that ended in a loss of life. I didn’t expect to deal with grief so soon into the New Year. As it turned out, grief wasn’t a burden devoid of a moral lesson. Usually, around this time of the year, I’m writing down plans to lose weight, manage finances, and set out to have a productive year. I instead found myself reflecting on altruistic choices that question our moral compass.
When life and death sit in our hands, everything else seems trivial. We lose sight of what matters until we are faced with a terminal illness or a decision to pull the plug, one that will ultimately terminate a life. Tragedies often force us to see hope beyond the pain, beyond the long moments of needed tears. Our journey comes full circle when our concerns are no longer about what needs to be checked off our bucket list. Personal growth often comes from facing tragedy, and the growth that comes out of it is a special lesson we’ll never forget.
I just have one goal this year, and that is to hang on to hope regardless of circumstances. I’d like to hang on to the kind of hope that cannot be extinguished by death and personal tragedy. Sometimes, often times, life doesn’t go as we plan. Our journey is a personal one and some of us late bloomers are running the race on a broken clock. We might arrive at the finish line a little behind, but that’s okay. It is my personal belief that we can achieve greatness at any age, so long as we realize we’re never too old or too wise to keep learning.
Disappointments do not have to set us back, but they can fuel us and be our guide towards the next step. If you suffered a death in the family, the death of a relationship or you’re facing some other end game, know that there is a new chapter in your life waiting to be experienced, waiting to be written.
Check out more on New Year resolutions & visit participating bloggers (Updated upon publication):
- Introduction: Alert: A Collaboration for the New Year
- Barb Caffrey: Welcome, 2018! New Year’s Resolutions, Anyone? (A Collaboration with a Purpose Post)
- Ipuna Black: Keep Focus with New Year’s Resolutions
- Nicolle K.: Collaboration with a Purpose: New Year’s Resolution – 2018 Goals
- Sadaf Siddiqi: New Year’s Resolutions
- Mylene Orillo: Why I Still Write My New Year’s Resolutions
Writing With Hope 
January 10, 2018 at 6:06 AM
[…] Sonyo Estavillo: Finding Hope: A New Year’s Resolution […]
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January 10, 2018 at 6:35 AM
sometimes life just sucks. hang in there.
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January 10, 2018 at 9:37 AM
Isn’t that the truth.
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January 10, 2018 at 8:32 AM
Thanks for sharing this important lesson and wisdom with us. Very sorry about your loss…😔Look forward to continuing along on journey even if you feel like you are a little behind (most of us are in the same boat). ☺️
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January 10, 2018 at 9:36 AM
Thanks Michael, it’s been a really rough start of the New Year but all we can do is recover from death and move foward in life.
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January 10, 2018 at 9:17 AM
Yes you’re right…
It’s impressive… you says ‘When life and death sit in our hands, everything else seems trivial’…
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January 10, 2018 at 9:37 AM
Thanks for reading. 🙂
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January 10, 2018 at 10:40 AM
[…] Sonyo Estavillo: Finding Hope: A New Year’s Resolution […]
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January 10, 2018 at 1:55 PM
Sorry for what you’re going through. I like your sentiment that its never too late. I need to remember that every day!
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January 10, 2018 at 2:31 PM
I cut my goals back big time after Jy’s incident. I think hope is a fantastic goal. I know what you are going through. Tough way to start the new year. It’ll get better. ❤️
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January 10, 2018 at 4:07 PM
I am sorry to hear about your situation. I hope it is all well now.
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January 11, 2018 at 5:11 AM
So true, hope is what keeps us going in life. I also liked the way you’ve said that “we can achieve greatness at any age, so long as we realize we’re never too old or too wise to keep learning.” A great post!
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January 11, 2018 at 3:37 PM
Whatever you are going through right now, Sonyo, trust that God will make a way. He has a purpose in everything. Hang in there!
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January 11, 2018 at 3:48 PM
[…] Sonyo Estavillo: Finding Hope: A New Year’s Resolution […]
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January 12, 2018 at 8:17 AM
[…] Sonyo Estavillo @ ‘Lil Pick Me Up: Finding Hope: A New Year’s Resolution […]
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January 14, 2018 at 1:46 AM
I’m sorry to hear about your loss, Sonyo. Here’s a hug and do take care of yourself! I think having hope is certainly a great goal for the year, and I agree we can achieve greatness at any age. 😀
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January 5, 2019 at 5:38 PM
I loved this poignant piece. Nicely done.
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January 6, 2019 at 4:32 PM
Reblogged this on The Reluctant Poet.
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