November is the final month of my new years resolutions series.  I didn’t make a resolution for December, because it’s always such a busy month and I didn’t want to stress myself out by trying to cram any more into it.

November’s resolution was to spend more time with my family.  I think that this year I’ve put in more time with my family than I have in the last decade.

This year has been pretty bumpy for me.  When Ross and I broke up a few months ago, my parents were incredibly supportive and rushed to my aid.  They spent hours listening to me rant and rave, mopped up my tears and held me when I needed it.  My Mum helped me to look for a new flat and was a huge help when I moved, ferrying me back and forth to bring my things to my new place.  Dad was the mastermind behind my official moving day, and he put loads of effort in making sure that all of my furniture was moved safely.  When I realised that I was going to have to buy a bunch of new appliances, Dad leaped into action and started researching brands and prices.  He even picked up my new television and washing machine for me.  Both Mum and Dad helped to build my new furniture and bought me fish and chips to celebrate my first night in my new place.

Now that I’m living closer to Mum and Dad, we see each other a lot more often.  I usually have dinner with them a couple of times a week.  Mum also regularly walks her dog, Brodie over to my place to visit the cats.

Another awful thing that happened this year was my nana being diagnosed with cancer.  We found out she was ill in May, and we realised quickly that she wasn’t going to get better.  That news rocked me to my core.  Of all of my relatives (with the exception of my parents) my Nana was the one that I’m closest to.  She played a huge role in my life and I absolutely adore her.  The knowledge that I was going to lose her was almost too much to bear.  I made a huge effort to spend as much time as possible with Nana.   As her health began to slide, my aunts and I took it in turns to look after her, and I spent a few days a week at her house, helping out.  It was so precious having that one-on-one time with Nana.  We shared so many stories and jokes, laughter and tears in these past few months and I really do treasure that.  When she passed away at the beginning of this month, I was totally devastated, and my family huddled even closer together to get through that difficult time.

Nan’s illness has also created opportunities for me to reconnect with members of my extended family that I don’t normally see very often.  A lot of second-cousins that I’ve never met before have made an effort to catch up with Nana, and I’ve been able to meet them.  My aunts, uncles and cousins have also banded together for support, and I feel as though my bonds with my extended family have become even stronger.

There have also been positive events that have brought me closer to my family.  In January, I decided to be baptised.  In order to do that, I had to go through several weeks of classes and I had to choose a member of the church to sponsor me.  My mother was my sponsor, and she attended all my classes with me.  I began really looking forward to that hour each week when Mum and I would go to the church together and discuss our beliefs and spirituality.  I feel that it brought the two of us much closer together and gave us a greater understanding of one another.

I feel like I’ve accomplished my goal of spending more time with my family this year.  I feel so pleased with all the special memories we’ve created, and I feel as though my relationship with my parents is more solid now than it ever has been before.  I am so blessed to have such an awesome family, and so lucky to be able to spend so much time with them.