Reflection

“Happy New Year!”

” I wanted to take a moment to say a deep heartfelt Thank You to my followers and those who have read my stories. It is because of you I continue what I am doing.”

I wish all of you health and happiness for 2023!

~ Angel & Bella ~

happy new year text

( Advanced Level )

The last two and a half years were tough for everyone around the world. John and Elizabeth were no exception.

John had lost his job of eighteen years, losing his pension, which he hoped to get in two years. Due to the strict measures put in place and his wife’s long stint in the hospital after testing positive, their future plans abruptly came to a halt. Due to exorbitant hospital bills, their lifelong savings were depleted.

They sat at the kitchen table eating their breakfast in silence. John was busy going through the morning newspaper. Elizabeth stared out the window deep in thought.

The silence broke “Honey, what should we do for New Year’s Eve? It is two days away. The kids are busy with their own plans and our friends have made their own plans.” She looked over at her husband who sat opposite her.

John curled down the edges of the newspaper, and looked up as he answered, “It has been a difficult year for us Lizzy. I think we should stay home and spend a quiet night at home.” with great disappointment, she nodded in affirmation.

This answer is not quite what she wanted to hear. Spending almost a month and a half in the hospital she looks at life differently now. She was lucky. Not all of their friends were as lucky.

On the other hand, John felt disappointed. He lost the job he loved. All his dreams for their retirement years vanished and he had no control over the situation.

“John, we cannot look back at what we had. We cannot change things. Think about it. I would like to at least have a dinner here and invite a few friends over. Then we can tune into the TV as they drop the ball in New York. Promise me you will think about it?”

It was John’s turn to nod. He agreed to consider having dinner with a few friends. “I will.” They finished breakfast in silence. Lizzy cleared the dishes as John retired to the front porch so he could read the rest of the morning paper.

Elizabeth finished the morning dishes and started straightening up the house. John had finished reading the articles in the paper that caught his interest. He sat with the newspaper folded on his lap. His thoughts drifted to his conversation with his wife.

When Lizzy finished what she was doing she joined John on the porch. Living in Florida in December was an advantage. The morning weather was comfortable. She sat on the chair adjacent to her husband admiring the neighbor’s Christmas decorations.

John broke the silence,” Lizzy, it won’t hurt to invite a few couples over for a New Year’s eve dinner. Maybe you can make your famous lasagna and have garlic bread.”

Elizabeth smiled at her husband, “Great! I have to call our friends then and head to the supermarket.” She stood and kissed her husband on the forehead. “Do you need anything while I am out?”

She didn’t wait for his answer. She needed to arrange everything and head to the store. During any holidays stores are a madhouse to navigate around with the crowds of people.

John was watching an old western movie on the TV when Elizabeth returned with groceries. He helped carry them in. “I invited Brett, Marge, Sam, and Linda over for dinner for New Year’s Eve..”

“It will be nice to see Sam. I haven’t seen him in a while. If you don’t need me I think I will take a walk to the park. I need the fresh air.”

Elizabeth was already busy setting out all the ingredients for her lasagna that she didn’t answer. John was used to this. He smiled and headed out the door.

John sat on a park bench watching people pass by. There were mothers with their children, older women exercising along with men like himself filling up their day with idle talk with friends.

He thought how lucky he was to still have his wife in his life. He may have lost her when she was in the hospital. He couldn’t imagine life without her especially after being together for over thirty-two years. This was the deciding factor for the green light to have a few close friends over for dinner.

After thirty minutes or so, John headed home. It was getting close to lunchtime. When he arrived, his wife was busy setting out soup bowls. She had made a simple creamy potato and broccoli soup for dinner.

Great timing. I just finished the soup. I hope you don’t mind since I have a big dinner to cook tomorrow. We can eat what is left for our dinner tonight.” John gave her a quick kiss.”

“Just let me wash my hands and I will be back in a few minutes. “ Lizzy set the soup pot on the table along with a sleeve of crackers. They exchanged small talk as they ate lunch.

The day flew by for Elizabeth. She was preoccupied with making sure tomorrow’s dinner was excellent. She too, had thought about how lucky she was to be able to walk out of the hospital.

There were days when she felt about giving up. Her breathing was labored but John’s words struck a nerve.Honey, I need you. Don’t give up.” She knew he would be lost without her. Somehow she mustered the will not to give up which made her husband pleased.

At dinner that evening the two discussed the next evening’s festivities. Lizzy noticed it was her doing all the talking and her husband listening. She looked up more than once smiling at her husband’s selective hearing as she called it. He listened to what he felt was important and tuned out the unimportant.

They headed to bed around nine that evening. John read a little from the crime novel he had been reading as Elizabeth checked the list she made of things that still needed to be done.

John closed his book. Turned off the bedside lamp and said, “Good night.” Elizabeth gave him a kiss on the cheek and uttered “Good night” back to him.

John woke the next morning to find his wife already busy, in the kitchen, with preparations for the night’s occasion. On the table sat the morning newspaper and his coffee cup. Neither of them liked to eat much in the morning. A couple of pieces of toast each was about all they ate.

“Good morning my love, Is there anything you need me to do today?” His wife quickly said “No. I have it all under control.” She turned and smiled at him. He knew she had everything planned out to a T. She had always had a knack for this.

The guests would be arriving around six or six thirty, depending on the traffic so John and Elizabeth had showered around four. Neither wanted to rush at the last minute.

Brett and Marge were the first to arrive. “It is so good to see the both of you. I think it has been close to two years.” Lizzy hugged Marge as John shook her husband’s hand. Marge chimed in, “We felt like prisoners. Enough of this talk though. Let’s enjoy tonight.”

Sam and Linda arrived shortly after. “Sorry we’re late, the traffic was terrible.” “Nonsense, dinner isn’t for another twenty minutes. It’s perfect timing!” Everyone exchanged hugs and handshakes and headed to the living room.

The night couldn’t be more perfect. The dinner was amazing. Everyone had a second helping of lasagna. After the leftovers were put away in the refrigerator, Elizabeth joined everyone in the living room.

John had turned on the television so everyone could watch the celebration in New York., while they engaged in idle talk. Watching the ball drop at midnight welcoming in the new year, whether you watch from the comfort of your own sofa or in person, signifies a new beginning.

Two minutes to midnight, John opened the bottle of wine. He poured everyone a glass getting ready to toast twenty twenty three.

“Ten, nine, eight, seven. six,” each smiled as they counted. “ five, four, three, two, one. Happy New Year!” Glasses clinked and hugs were exchanged.

John turned to his wife, “Happy New Year, my love. We’ve seen thirty – two New Years together and I want another thirty – two.” He hugged her tight. “Me too, John, me too.”

Written By: Angel

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Thoughts From Angel:

Many people focus on the negatives of the past few years. I did too but I realized there were many things to be thankful for including my health. So many people around the world lost their life.

We reconnected with our immediate family. We rediscovered what is really important to us. Is it the nice car? Or the big house that comes with a costly mortgage?

For me, it is the little things that matter. Your child’s smile. Your spouse’s hug. Or simply enjoying a movie together. You cannot change the past. Accept what you cannot change and move forward.

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Vocabulary:

no exception – idiom: inclusion

stint – noun: time

abruptly – adverb: suddenly

halt – verb: stop

exorbitant – adjective: unreasonable, too high/ too large

depleted – verb: use up, diminish

deep in thought – adjective – preoccupied

affirmation -noun: confirmation

vanished – verb: disappeared

tune into – phrasal verb: watch or listen to a television 

straightening up – phrasal verb: organize or tidy

drifted – verb: less focus on what is in front of you

adjacent – adjective: next to or adjoining

madhouse – noun: extreme confusion

navigate – verb: steer

green light – verb: go ahead with

small talk – noun: unimportant conversation

preoccupied – adjective: distracted

labored – adjective: difficult

struck a nerve – idiom: angry, upset

lost without (her) – idiom: helpless

mustered -verb: collect

selective hearing – adjective: selective auditory attention

preparations – noun: make ready

to a T – idiom: perfectly

knack – noun: an acquired or natural skill at performing a task

idle talk – noun: unimportant talk

toast – verb: to drink by raising one’s glass together with others

Question ( s ):

Are you looking at life differently now? Why?


Sixty Five Years Together

Bill and Marge met in 1955, married 2 years later, and will celebrate their sixty-fifth wedding anniversary on this New Years Day.

The two often sat at the dining table eating dinner together and reflected on their lives together. Life had been kind to them. Some ups and downs but they stayed together.

He was the proverbial bad guy, from the lower end of the city, and she was the good girl from a well – to – do family, in the upper east side. Marge was immediately smitten with his good looks and charm.

Her father had found out about her interest in him and warned her that he was from the wrong side of the city. A bad seed.” her father would say. “He and his family are simply trouble.”

Like most teenagers, she didn’t listen. She and her friends would find excuses to go to a small diner in midtown every day. Even if it was for a milkshake, just so she could see him. He worked as a busboy and dishwasher there.

She admired him from a distance. Watching him as he cleaned the tables and wiped the sweat from his brow. Her glances did not go unnoticed.

Periodically, he would look up and smile at her. This would make her blush and giggle. Her friends urged her to say hi but she was too shy.

Finally, after months, Bill had the courage to talk to her. See, he was just as shy as he was. He knew what people thought of him and his family.

” Well, I see you watching me every day and I too look forward to seeing your smiling face and those beautiful hazel eyes. I want to know if you want to go to the movies with me on Friday night?”

“I have the night off and saved up extra money to ask you for a date with you, if you will go with me. I usually give my mom all my earnings to help pay the bills so I worked a few extra hours. So, what do you think? Will you want to go with me?”

Yes. Yes, I will go. I will meet you here, at the diner, at 7 on Friday.” Marge didn’t want her parents, especially her dad, to know she was going on a date with the boy he warned her against.

Friday night came and Marge had told her parents she was having a sleepover at a friend’s house. She lied.

She had her hair up in a ponytail and had her favorite pale blue sweater on along with a knee length gray skirt on.

She thought to herself, this was the first time she would see Bill without her friends around, so she was a little nervous. Was he going to be different?

It took 25 minutes on a bus then another 10 minute walk to the diner. Bill was standing outside waiting. He had a simple white t – shirt on and blue jeans. She remembers how her heart skipped a beat when she saw him standing there.

He looked up and saw her coming. His face lit up. “I am glad you didn’t back out, Marge, from our date. You look beautiful.”

These dates went on for months. Marge would sneak away to see him always telling her parents she was doing something with her friends. She hated not telling her parents the truth. She knew her dad would not understand.

Bill asked her to meet her parents. He wanted them to get to know him. Marge had already met his mom. She stopped by the diner, one day, while they were eating dinner.

Marge felt very comfortable around Bill. She decided to tell him the truth. “My parents do not know about you, Bill. My father would not approve. He had seen me looking at you awhile back and told me you were a bad seed.”

Bill was dazed by what she said. He couldn’t believe that all this time she had been sneaking around behind her parents back.

“Please do not be mad Bill. I didn’t want to disappoint you or my parents. I have fallen in love with you .”

“How can your father think I am a bad seed if he hasn’t even met me? Is it because I live where I live? And I do not have a father who stayed in my life?”

“I do not know. We never talked about it again. My father just wants to keep me safe, I guess.”

Bill stood there in silence. He was lost in deep thoughts. “Marge, I truly have feelings for you but we cannot keep hidden forever. Now that I know, I feel we need to tell your parents. I want them to meet me and have them realize how wrong their thoughts were about me.”

Bill stood there in silence. He was lost in deep thoughts. “Marge, I truly have feelings for you but we cannot keep hidden forever. Now that I know, I feel we need to tell your parents. I want them to meet me and have them realize how wrong their thoughts were about me.”

Eventually her parents grew to love Bill. They met his mother and heard the whole truth about Bill’s dad and why he wasn’t around. “It goes to show that you shouldn’t believe the gossip people spread,” Marge’s dad said over dinner one evening.

Sixty five years later, they stand next to one another, looking out the window. The city is busy with people heading to have dinner with family and friends.

“Marge, I couldn’t imagine spending my life with anyone but you. Thank you for being my wife and accepting that first date with me.”

Bill, my love, I knew from the very start, once you made my heart skip a beat, that you were the one for me. Happy anniversary.”

And so they bring in the New Year together……..once again.

Written By: Angel

“Happy New Year Everyone! Yesterday is gone and tomorrow is another day. Look to the future and enjoy each day as it comes. Life may be difficult some days and we find ourselves sitting in despair. Just remember life only gives you what you can handle but always makes you a stronger you in the end.” – Angel

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Vocabulary:

proverbial – adjective : stereotypical

well – to – do – adjective: wealthy

bad seed – noun: a person regarded as bad

admired ( someone or something ) from a distance – idiom: attracted to someone without letting him or her know

periodically – adverb: occasionally

courage – noun: strength

date – noun: a social or romantic appointment or engagement

sleepover – noun: spending the night away from home

nervous – adjective: anxious

lit up – idiom: noticeably excited

comfortable – adjective: feeling comfortable or relaxed

sneaking around behind ( someone’s ) back – idiom: being secretive or sneaky

conversation – noun: a conversation between two people, informal

skip a beat – idiom: feeling nervous, excited or anxious

Question ( s ):

Have you ever judged someone by appearance without getting to know that person? If so, were you wrong about them?

Do you know anyone who’s been married as long as Bill and Marge?