As I write this post on the last day of this year, it is time to look back at the bittersweet memories. One wonderful thing I took on this year was writing gratitude posts every month. It helps. It really does to focus on the positives.

So December. What a whirlwind you were! Very hectic workwise, the month really did swish by in a rush. There is a party planned with friends this evening to bid goodbye to 2016 and do some eating, drinking and making merry.

This month was very family centric. As dad visited us in the last week of the year, we had a ball at home, watching movies together and having energizing conversations at home. The kids had so much fun hearing about some of the mischief that their mom and uncle wreaked when we were kids.

Healthwise, discovered a few deficiencies at the annual blood work. Already working on those. And there is some major tooth work in store in January. Not looking forward to that at all but has to be done.

This was also the time when I spoke to a dear friend for the first time. I got to know Iliana through another dear friend, and she and I have shared a lot over the years. We connect and vibe well. Finally, she took the step and we took our relationship a step further by picking up the phone and speaking to each other. It was just lovely. Hope 2017 will be the year when I get to meet her in person as well.

We managed to complete some pending work at home right towards the year end. I managed to watch a truckload of movies and though a bit back on my reading, I will complete the four books at home in January.

Workouts have gone to the dogs. Oops, I meant they became as irregular as can be. 🙂 But that’s okay, I know I will be regular soon.

Work was challenging and motivating. The two large projects I work on make me learn something new every single day. I am so very grateful for that! Started a couple of new collaborations in the last month. More on that later. Figured in a few Top blogs lists for which I am very grateful. Also I never cease to be grateful for the love and support of my virtual friends. Also am the finalist in two categories for the Orange Flower Awards by Women’s Web.  Always good to be appreciated in any manner.

And, this December, the husband and I celebrated our 16th marriage anniversary. It was a delightful day when the husband took me along to buy me flowers. 🙂 We also had a lovely family dinner – the kids, our joy, a big reminder of the beauty and love of our union.

With that I say my goodbye to 2016! Ups and downs and everything in between, I loved you. Thank you for the experiences and the lessons you taught. Let’s see how 2017 goes.

Wish all my readers a joyous, healthy and happy 2017!

Image courtesy: mangpor2004 on Shutterstock

Linking it to gratitude post on Vidya’s blog.

Gratitude

54 Thoughts on “Grateful for 2016, Welcome 2017!

  1. I feel so honored to be mentioned in your gratitude post, and granted a paragraph 🙂 It was absolutely delightful speaking with you! You know my friends mean everything to me, and I am grateful you are my friend! Happy New Year, Rachna!

  2. What a lovely round up! So happy that you got to spend this month with dad. Always wonderful to be with family for these special moments. My wish for you is that you keep growing as a blogger and as a person , always. And am super super thrilled about the orange flower award finalists list for you! Totally well deserved. Let’s rock 2017, Rachna ?

  3. Beuatiful round up, Rachna. It is always good to reminisce on the good moments of the year, isn’t it? I hope you have a wonderful 2017 too!

  4. Hello Rachna, hope you have a great 2017…there are ups and downs for all of us (some are sort of dampeners). Well round-up of the year soon to be history!

    • Agree, Alok. Ups and downs are a part of life and focusing on the positives does us a world of good. Wish you and Saru a fabulous New Year as well.

  5. Hehehe, can totally sympathise with the tooth work. Been going to the dentist every month for the braces, and still it freaks me out to look at all those sharp tools. Do take care!

    Have a great New Year’s Eve Rachna, and an even happier 2017. Good luck for the Orange Flower Award too! 🙂

  6. What a wonderful year this has been for you, Rachna! Congratulations to you and your husband on your 16th anni. Here’s to many more!

    Congrats on making to the finals and all the best too.

    Here’s to spending more memorable time with your dad in the coming year as well. To more quality time with family. To more projects at work. To more budding friendships. To another wonderful year basically 🙂

    Happy 2017, Rachna 🙂

  7. A very happy new year to you and your family! Sorry to hear about the major tooth work but it’s better to get it done rather than suffer chronically! Best of luck! And, many hugs to you, my friend!

    • Thanks, Rosh! So lovely to see you here. I know, that tooth work is planned for next week and I am dreading it. 🙁 Wish you a fantastic New Year as well.

  8. Lovely round up and I wish you a great 2017. Glad that you had a great time with family and 16th anniversary? wow! so lovely.
    I also need to get better with my health this year and yes, the Orange Flower Awards were a good surprise.

    See you soon 🙂

    • Thanks, Parul!

      Hope this year is better for our healths and good luck to you as well for the Awards. I have some urgent work on Saturday so won’t be attending it but my best wishes are for all of us!

  9. Happy New Year, wishing you more and more success in the coming years..

  10. Wishing you all the best in your creative journey in the year ahead.

  11. Times you get to spend with your parents are priceless! I am glad you got to spend some magical moments with your dad and that the boys learnt about the kid that you were!
    Congrats on being the finalist at the Orange Awards, sweetie! May you keep going from strength to strength and fulfil all the goals you set out for yourself. May the new year fulfil your wishes and bless you with lots of peace and good times!

    • Thanks, Shilpa. Oh totally. Dad comes over for very few days. You know how dads are and I try my best to spend as much time possible with him.

      Thanks so much for your wishes, my dear. You know you are such a sunshine influence in my life. I actually imagine your smiling face and Chikoo lolling near you when I read your comments. 🙂 Thanks for being there. Lots of love and best wishes to you as well for 2017.

  12. 2016 was a mixed bag for me too, but overall, I’m happy with it. Good learning experience.

    I’ve also been spending more time with movies than with books! 😛 And I’ve got a huge back load of both. (Would you believe that?)

    Oh well! A very Happy New Year to you, Rachna! To new friends and old family! Cheers!

  13. Good to know that you had a good 2016, Rachna. Have a blessed 2017!

  14. I love your gratitude posts, Rachna. A good way to look at the positives. Hope you have a wonderful 2017. Stay blessed.

  15. I find gratitude posts hard to write and I love how easily they flow from you. As I read yours I realised I have many similar things to be grateful for, I just didn’t focus on them. Glad 2016 has been good to you. Blog recognition is always such a high. Let’s hope you get an award and make all of us at the BAR proud! I hope 2017 is even more wonderful for you and your family.

    • Thanks to Vidya’s monthly linkup, I’ve gotten into the habit of writing these posts. Now I actually look forward to penning them at the end of a month. It’s such a wonderful way to focus on the positivity no matter how many downs you have. It has helped me immensely.

      Thanks Tulika for your kind wishes. I hope this year is beautiful for you and your family as well.

  16. Congratulations to all your achievements in 2016. Wishing you a fab 2017.

  17. A wonderful roundup, Rachna. Hope 2017 turns out to be even better.Congratulations on your nomination and wish you all the best. Looking forward to your posts as always. Happy New Year to you and yours once again. 🙂

  18. A great roundup of the year gone by Rachna.have always appreciated your posts and the little thought provoking things it holds. I loved your europe trip posts and they still stay saved in my bookmarks so that they come in handy when I do my travel to Europe. Have a great year ahead .

  19. Yes, your 2016 seems like a good one- even as with life itself with ups and downs, we learn from it all and we move on. Enjoyed your sum-up Rachna- wish you and your loved ones a wonderful 2017 ahead:-) Hugs

  20. What a wonderful round-up of the year Rachna, enjoyed all my visits here and am so grateful for your visits on mine too. Wish you many more appreciations, successes and joys in the coming year!

  21. Looks like a lot of us were plagues with health issues in 2016. But hey, we got out of it! Gratitude posts are important. It makes us realize the good things in otherwise mundane things.

    Congrats on being one of the finalists and I’ll be rooting for you to win!

    Wishing you a very happy new year Rachna. May you be blessed with love, health and happiness.

    • Thanks, Soumya. Yep 2016 was troublesome healthwise. Fingers crossed this New Year is better. Thanks for all the lovely wishes.

      I do hope that this year is even better for travel and work as well as health for you.

  22. Good to read about your fun-and-family-filled month of December. And here’s wishing you another year full of love, joy and happiness. Belated wishes for your anniversary! Be well, be in love.

  23. Happy New year Rachna ! Nice round up.

  24. Belated Anniversary wishes for your Sweet 16th!:)
    Cheering you on for the finals of the Orange Flower Awards! Hope you win!
    I loved reading your Recap of 2016. Wishing you a fabulous 2017 and looking forward to not only reading more posts by you but also meeting you often!:)

    • Thanks, Mayuri. For being you and for your love and support. Absolutely, I look forward to meeting you many times in 2017. Have a great year, my dear.

  25. Have a great year ahead Rachna. It has been great knowing you last year and getting inspired from your work. I am sure this will be even more successful than the previous year

  26. I have cursed 2016, hated it (So much so that I had gone offline for a month) and then come to respect and be grateful for it. But now as I read your post I have become even more so, because I realize the most important moments and the good things that came out of it were much more important compared to everything that went wrong. Well here’s wishing us a wonderful 2017, may we all scale greater heights and reach our goals. Lost of love and a very Happy wala New Year.

    • It is tough, Jai, when the going gets tough. Practicing gratitude helps you focus on the positives. There are times when I want to scream, when things really pull me down, but yes get up and try to make things better. Wish you a great 2017, Jai!

  27. Big hugs to you Rachna! I love your roundup of the year gone by, and it is so exciting to see wonderfully memorable happenings! I know the feeling of connecting with a dear friend. So glad that happened for you! I wish you could have made it for the Orange Flower Awards–I see these more as an opportunity to meet the people I love. 🙂 Take care of your health. I’ve been playing hooky on the workout front (at my own risk 🙁 ) but hope to correct all that now. Wishing you a successful, healthy and happy 2017. I feel so happy to have you in the Gratitude Circle. Love, Vidya

    • Thank you, Vidya. I cherish your comments because they bring warmth and sunshine with them. I know, I am sorry too for missing to attend the event. So lovely that all of you won. But I had that exam I had to take. Fingers crossed for the results that will be out soon. I know healthwise has been a bit of killjoy. Hope you have a great year ahead, Vidya.

Do not leave without commenting. I love a good conversation :).

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