As I turn the page into May on my Year of Me journey, I’m taking a moment to reflect on April’s progress. I leaned into kindness by completing Random Acts of Kindness, which not only made others smile but truly nourished my own spirit. I also made time to reconnect with my book club, something I deeply missed in April.  One area that was not a complete success was my commitment to a fast food-free week.  But progress, not perfection, is the name of this journey.

One of the most powerful parts of April was the pure joy I found in my Random Acts of Kindness. From buying a soft drink for a stranger, helping someone juggling too many boxes at the post office, to simply making eye contact and warmly greeting strangers, I felt deeply connected to the world around me. I also made an effort to contact my friends and check in on them. Each small gesture sparked a moment of shared humanity, and those brief, positive interactions turned out to be food for my soul. They reminded me that kindness doesn’t just ripple outward—it comes back in the form of joy, purpose, and peace. So, I plan on showcasing Random Acts of Kindness during another month in my journey this year.

One of my goals was to attend at least one book club in April, and I did, but there was a little plot twist. Have you ever attended a book club gathering when you have read none of the books? I had not until this month, when I showed up to book club having not even finished the first chapter of Wicked. I hesitated to attend the meeting until people posted to attend, even if you have not read the book. I know many people love Wicked, but clearly, this book club’s members did not because only one person had completed the book. And it must be noted that she read it at 1.5 speed on Audible while doing other things. So, we did not discuss the book, but we did have a marvelous time discussing books and authors in general and adding books to our Goodreads lists.

My last area of focus for April was financial, and I designated a week that I would not spend money on food or drinks from fast-food establishments. Well, I must report that I failed in this endeavor. Those McDonald’s Iced Carmel Coffees were too hard for me to resist on two occasions. This seems crazy since I could give them up for the entire month of January but not for seven days. There is a silver lining to this goal: I spent much less than usual on fast food. Remember, failures are just part of the process.

In addition to my self-care goals, April was also a month filled with great family time, and that is always good for my mental health. I started the month by having my youngest granddaughter stay with us for two nights, which is always a wonderful treat. It is also a great way to cut back on calories and fall asleep the minute your head hits the pillow because you are too exhausted to eat or stay up past 9 PM. We also celebrated Easter and two birthdays with excellent food and way too many desserts. I did learn that making excellent pie crust skipped my generation because my daughter made some excellent pies, just like her Oma. Mom and Dad worked with me on a project to turn a $9.99 used Little Tikes Coupe into a semi-replica of my daughter’s first car, a lime green Beetle. We had fun, and it looks great if you stand far enough back. April was a month full of making memories.

Now, let’s discuss what I have planned for my Year of Me Journey in May. I am setting goals around the following areas of self-care: financial, environmental, social, Intellectual, and physical. This is the first month that I selected more than three areas of self-care to focus on, but you will see that some of my goals for the month overlap.

My first goal will focus on the environmental and financial aspects of self-care. How many of you have a freezer and pantry full of food? I do, and if I am honest, I have two freezers full of food. Also, if I am honest, I often throw out food because it has been in the freezer for too long and has been freezer-burnt. That said, I am dedicating May to limiting my food purchases to $700 for the month, including food for two birthday celebrations and a crab boil for Mother’s Day ay. I am determined to clean out the freezers and pantries by cooking meals that use up my existing food items. Thank you to my husband for agreeing to participate in this goal.

My social and intellectual goal is to start an online book club for friends, family, and strangers who live far across the country but share a common love of reading. I must confess that I launched the book club on Facebook on April 29th in order to give people time to read the book. Now, I must learn everything that I can about hosting a successful online book club. So, that is the intellectual component of the goal. Thank you to the Nuber women for recommending our first book, Whose Names Are Unknown, by Sonora Babb. A historical fiction book that waited four decades to be published.

If you read my January blog, my last goal will seem very familiar because it is a wash, a repeat of my physical goal from January. As I documented in my March blog, I failed miserably when it came to meeting my physical goal. In March and April, I was better, but not back to my January level of commitment. I plan to set weekly goals in May and post weekly updates on my progress. By publishing weekly goals and progress updates, I will hold myself more accountable for meeting the month-long goal. So, back to chair yoga and the swimming pool I go.

As always, your encouragement means everything to me. We must all remember the importance of encouraging others to meet their goals, celebrating with them when they succeed, and offering encouragement when things do not go as planned.