2024 – Year rooted in resilience
When I say wildflower, what comes to your mind?
To me, it’s — resilience.
Resilience — a word that sums up my 2024 journey.
“A wildflower doesn’t just endure — it thrives, no matter the odds.”
It’s been a year and a half since I last wrote here. My last post was in June 2023, and I’m not surprised. In July, life took a turn I wasn’t prepared for. Lost my mother — my guiding star, my forever cheerleader. The loss shattered me in ways I could never put in words. I don’t think I ever imagined a life without her until that day.
We think we’ve grown up as life moves forward, but nothing truly prepares us for life without our parents, no matter how old we are. Especially when the bond runs so deep.
Yet, even in my deepest grief, I knew what she had always done and would have wanted me to do — pick up my pieces and keep moving forward, one step at a time.
And that’s what I tried to do.
Work brought its own set of challenges — a job change, rapidly shifting market dynamics — none of it easy to navigate. And it was equally chaotic for my partner too, who lost his brother earlier and faced professional hurdles as well. Together, as a family, we experienced unimaginable pain and uncertainty.
But after all the 2023 chaos, 2024 brought glimmers of hope, of progress, and of possibilities.
It became a year of many firsts for me, professionally. I achieved milestones on a scale I never imagined.
We moved into our own home - a place to truly call our own in a foreign land — a feeling that was uniquely special.
It was also the year I dared to pursue a lifelong dream — starting my PhD journey at the beginning of the year. Stepping into uncharted waters while juggling a full-time role felt both daunting and exhilarating. Becoming a researcher has been a dream I’ve long postponed due to life’s many commitments, and finally taking that leap has been fulfilling, opening up new avenues of learning and discovery.
What keeps one going through it all?
Resilience.
That quiet inner strength that whispers, “There’s no other way but forward.” Even if it’s just one small step at a time.
And people.
Some who shape your journey by supporting you, and others who break your experience by testing you. Both, in their own ways, help you grow. And both teach you — what truly matters.
As I reflect on this whirlwind of a year, I’m reminded of how life, even at its most unpredictable, carries seeds of hope. Like wildflowers that bloom even in adversity — or after being trampled down — we, too, find ways to grow despite the odds.
It feels good to be back here, sharing my thoughts again. Writing has always been my anchor, and I’ve missed it deeply. I hope to make more space for it in the year ahead. While I’ve continued jotting down small reflections in my personal journal, there’s something uniquely cathartic about sharing them here.
So here’s to resilience, to possibilities, and to the people who shape our journeys — one way or another.
Wishing you all a fabulous 2025!
