A Peter Pan Year of Change

Oh, what a year it has been.

Yesterday, for the first time in many years, I blew out the candles and looked around. Everything was different. This year was different. There are many reasons why, and I’d love to share them with you in the words that follow. So, bring your mood, grab a drink or your favorite snack, and let’s take a look at what this year had in store.

We’re talking, of course, about 2024—a year we have already left behind. I don’t know if you experience this too, but every time a new year begins, I catch myself predicting what it might bring. Yet, to keep myself grounded—not lost in either vanity or fear of what the next 12 months may hold—I remind myself to stay in the moment.

This past year, however, left me with no choice but to be present. Because, in many ways, each day felt like an entire year of its own.

It all began with my wife—her warmth, her strength, and the little soul growing inside her. There were sleepless nights, days filled with joy and anticipation, and even a move to a new home. That last change was bittersweet, as our previous neighborhood had become what we once thought of as a forever home. It was close to nature, filled with familiar faces, and felt like a small village despite being in the suburbs. But this new place gave us more space—a home where we could welcome three more people comfortably.

Then came the summer, an unbearably hot one. Honestly, if our baby could have had an ice-cold drink, he would have! And then, the moment of birth.

I will never forget seeing my wife's eyes as she was wheeled into the maternity ward—knowing that in just moments, our little tiger would enter the world. There was anxiety, exhaustion, and an overwhelming wave of emotions. And then… two tiny eyes looking up at us for the first time.

The days that followed were challenging, especially for my wife. Four particularly difficult days in the clinic and many more as she recovered. Waiting for the baby to be brought to us, feeding him, seeing his persistence from the very start—it was all part of a journey that changed us forever.

And then, every single day brought something new.

This past year has taught me that every second on this earth is worth embracing, fighting for. Even if all you can give is 1% of yourself—keep going. Joy may be fleeting, as they say, but contentment and peace can be present even on the hardest days. If we have the people we love beside us, if we stay true to our dreams—no matter how unexpected life’s twists and turns may be—then we are exactly where we are meant to be.

I've learned to trust life. To trust God. To trust the unfolding of events, knowing that even in moments of pain and loss, there is always a resurrection, always a birth.

And though Peter Pan has always been my hero for his refusal to grow up, I choose to trust the cycle of life. It knows what it’s doing.

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