New Year’s Eve. As indicated by:

• Nothing good on telly
• Incessant generic ‘happy new year’ texts, mostly sent ridiculously early with the preface ‘getting in early before the networks are blocked’. In other words, ‘sending this now before I’m out having too much fun with my real friends to remember’
• Facebook statuses listing everyone’s New Year’s resolutions. Soon to be replaced by Facebook statuses bemoaning the fact that all resolutions have been broken.

So, 2015. Most of the messages I’ve received so far have been along the lines of ‘2015 has been a tough year, hope 2016 is a better one’. Actually, though, 2015 has been pretty damn good. I mean, most of 2015 was pretty normal. Filled with the usual – lovely people, sparkly nails, cute animals and a fantastic holiday. Touch of work, spot of exercise, all good. Ok, so getting a cancer diagnosis wasn’t exactly what I was hoping for, but everything after that was. A specialist whose confidence and approach to fixing things would rival Bob the Builder; a series of reassuringly negative test results, and the most enormous entourage of wonderful people who, it turns out, were there all along but might otherwise have gone unappreciated.

Resolutions are a weird thing. If something needs doing, I’m not sure why I would stick it on the back burner to revisit next year. Also, resolutions are usually either about doing something extra, or doing something less. Both of which suggest something wrong with what I’m currently doing. And I don’t think I’m doing too badly, thanks. And anyway, every day is the first day of a new year if you think about it. So I won’t be making any resolutions, or hoping for anything very different from 2016. I’ve enjoyed 2015, and I fully expect to enjoy 2016. It won’t all be rosy, because nothing is, but I know I can deal with the rubbish bits, because in 2015 I realised how many fantastic people I have to help with that. 

Plus I’ve just been shopping so my cupboard is fully stocked with The Stuff of Happiness. Namely, popcorn, chocolate, jam, peanut butter, marshmallows and a small number of other secret ingredients. There is also a cat on my lap. So I’m all set. 2016, come on in.