DID WE MAKE THE BEST OUT OF 2024?

Aditya Dhaka, 4:22p.m. 

It seems like only minutes ago that we were counting down to midnight, hearts full of optimism, making vows to ourselves, and fantasizing about the year ahead. 

Yet here we are, on the verge of another chapter, wondering how time slipped through our grasp so easily. Life goes so quickly that it's easy to miss the beauty concealed among the mess. 

Isn't that what makes it so extraordinary? The days flew by, but there were moments that made us pause—moments that elicited laughter, brought tears, prompted introspection, and reminded us of what it meant to genuinely live.

THE PEOPLE WE MET

Remember the people you didn't know at the beginning of the year but now find it impossible to live without. Perhaps it was a complete stranger who became your buddy, a mentor who helped you along the way, or someone who made entry just at the right time. 

Every individual we encounter contributes a stroke to the masterpiece that is our lives. Some taught us to be joyful by bringing us vivid colors, while others remind us to be resilient by drawing shadows.

 "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel," was Maya Angelou correct, wasn't she? Did we take full advantage of those relationships? Did we value them enough?

THE PEOPLE WE LET GO

This year may have also been about letting go. People drift apart, not out of malice, but because life takes us in different directions. Some departures leave behind an ache—a friend who stopped calling, a relationship that ran its course, or a goodbye we never wanted to say.

It’s hard, isn’t it? Let everything happen to you: beauty and terror. Just keep going. No feeling is final. Letting go means accepting and making space for new beginnings.

THE LESSONS WE LEARNED

What did this year teach you?

• Maybe it taught you how to say “no” without guilt.

• Maybe you learned to prioritize yourself, even when it felt selfish.

• Or maybe, just maybe, you realized that it’s okay not to have all the answers.

Life is the best classroom, is it not? And though the lessons can be tough, they shape us. As Anne Lamott put it, “Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.”

THE HARD TIMES WE FACED

This year wasn't all sunshine and rainbows, let's face it. On other days, it seemed impossible to get out of bed, tears were easier than smiles, and the burden of everything seemed too much to carry. 

However, you succeeded. You're reading this right now. Something, isn't it? Everyone is broken by the world, and many people grow stronger in the places where they have been broken. We will commemorate the challenges we have overcome. 

THE BIRTHDAYS AND LITTLE JOYS

How many candles did you blow out this year? Did you savor that slice of cake, laugh with your friends, or quietly reflect on how old you have become? Birthdays have this magic—they remind us that life is both fleeting and worth celebrating.

And then there were the tiny joys—the smell of rain on a hot day, the warmth of a hug, the sound of laughter echoing in a room. Did we pause long enough to appreciate them?

HOW QUICK IT ALL WENT

Time passes through our fingers like grains of sand. One moment we're planning for January, and the next, December is saying goodbye. Isn't that the beauty of it?

 Dr. Seuss says, "Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened." So, when we close the chapter on 2024, let us not focus on what could have been, but rather continue with what was.

As we enter 2025, we will carry with us the love we provided, the lessons we learned, and the memories we have developed. 

And did we make the best of 2024? Perhaps a better question is, what can we carry over from one year to the next?

Let this new year be a canvas, waiting for bold strokes of hope, love, and resilience. After all, it’s not about being perfect—it’s about embracing the imperfect moments that make life extraordinary.

To 2024, a year that shaped us. And to 2025, a blank page brimming with possibilities. The future is ours—let’s write a story worth remembering.

P.S. Cheers to another year of making it count. Here’s hoping you all enjoyed the ride!