Happy New Year!!!!!!!!!!

Do you make new years resolutions?  I don’t usually, as it seems you’re just setting yourself up for failure.   My feeling on new years have been summed up perfectly in a song by Carolyn Arends called “New Years Day.”  I’ve been wanting to write a blog entry using this song for several years, I even tried a couple of times but didn’t get through it.  So this year when I sat down to write my January President’s Message for Ostomy Toronto I again pondered using the song but wondered how.  I ended up combining it with an update on Ostomy Toronto’s goals and our progress about 6 months in.  I was unsure about it even after I finished, but several people have now read it and loved it.  The newsletter won’t go out until next week, but I thought I’d use it for a New Year’s blog entry.  2011 has been such an amazing year both personally and for Ostomy Toronto and while I’m sad to say goodbye to it, 2012 is full of promise and it means the UOAC conference in Toronto is just 7.5 months away!!!!!!!!!!!  I’m so excited, I can’t wait – if you’ve read my blog entries on last year’s conference, my time in New Orleans two years ao and hopefully my next blog will be on Reno, you’ll know why.  I love my ostomy community family and getting to spend a few days with them is always so exciting and to do so in my adopted home town makes it all the more special!   It also means a lot o work and some presentations to prepare, but we’ll talk about that another day!   So for now I say happy new year everyone – I hope 2012 brings you much success, happiness and health, and for my ostomy friends, a trip to Toronto for the 2012 UOAC conference.  Until then, check out my president’s message and if you’re the type to make new year’s resolutions, follow what Carolyn says and make “every day new year’s day.”

Happy New Year!!!  I trust everyone had a time of celebration and renewal over the holidays!  2012 is upon us and already it holds much promise for Ostomy Toronto!   The new year is a time to reflect on the previous year and to set resolutions and goals for the coming year.  As I reflect back on 2011, I’m so amazed by everything that has happened and wonder how 2012 can top it.  Earlier this year, the board began looking at some goals for the next 5 years for Ostomy Toronto.  This is still a work in progress and some of them will be challenging, but it is better to try and fail than not to try at all.  At a high level these goals include:

•         To increase Ostomy Toronto membership by 10% per year for the next 5 years

•         To provide better support to parents of children with an ostomy

•         To promote public awareness of ostomies and shatter negative stigmas

•         To improve our financial position by establishing 2 annual fundraising events and obtaining new sponsorships/benefactors

Some of the ways we plan to accomplish these goals include:

•         Partnering with hospitals, medical professionals,  ostomy suppliers, related non-profits and others to extend our reach within the ostomy community

•         To establish a new 20-40 group within Ostomy Toronto in 2012

•         To establish a youth program that will eventually offer a minimum of quarterly activities for youth aged 9-18

•         To encourage youth to volunteer and raise up young leaders for roles within Ostomy Toronto by establishing a youth committee reporting to the Board

• To partner with other organizations such as the UOAC and Sick Kids Hospital to support parents of children with an ostomy from birth to 18

•         Creating marketing/promotion materials  and holding public events aimed at promoting ostomy awareness.

So how are we doing?  Well in the 6 months since we did this first draft, we have made progress:

We are making progress and I want to thank our board for all their hard work.   However, we cannot succeed in these goals without you and we will be outlining how you can help in early 2012.

I usually don’t set resolutions but I know many do every year – how successful they are varies. Carolyn Arends wrote a song called New Years Day that talks about the idea of new years resolutions and the fact that we have a tendency to give up when we fail rather than starting over. She writes:

Each and every New Year’s Eve
I make myself a list
All the things I’m gonna change
Until January 2nd
So this time I’m making one promise
……
This will be my resolution
Every day is New Year’s Day
…..
One more chance to start all over
One more chance to change and grow

We all need to be less hard on ourselves – sometimes we stumble and fall short of goals, yet we need to get right back up and try again.   So in 2012, let’s remember how far we have come and celebrate our successes and not give up on our goals and instead strive to make every day New Years Day.  This isn’t easy, I personally have failed at this many times, but this song reminds me I need to learn to be less hard on myself.

If you’re in the 20-40 age range, don’t forget we have our first 20-40 group meeting in January.  Wishing you all the best in 2012!

Mary

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