The Void

 By the time you read this, Christmas will be over and we will be preparing to ring in the New Year. Some folks may be shopping holiday sales, stocking up for birthdays and holidays in 2024. Some folks might be relaxing on the couch with their feet up, their favorite beverage in hand, relaxing and enjoying the moment. Others may be busy cleaning up, getting rid of broken toys, taking down Christmas, and getting ready to ring in the New Year. Me? Well, I will be in that void. That void of trying to wrap up 2023, so when I ring in 2024, I can move forward with hopefully nothing from the previous year hanging on to me. At least that’s my hope.

In my 4-H life that means I’ll be is doing all the little behind-the-scenes things that let us have fun with the youth and volunteers while we accidentally learn along the way. I will get reports for the year completed, catch up the blog, work on our annual blog book, get a photo review put together as a reminder of this last year, and I might, if there is time, actually clean my office. Which will allow me to play “where in the world did I put that item” for the first two months next year.

It also means getting the workspace ready for someone new to join our 4-H staff, which I couldn’t be happier about. Many folks know in March a valued-member of our team, Wendy Maynor, was promoted to our Family and Consumer Sciences Agent position. Which has meant we have had a vacancy to fill in 4-H, with just the right person. We think we have found that person, and we are excited a 4-H Alum, and former Harnett County 4-H Program Assistant, Jade McNeill, will be joining our 4-H team in January. Happy New Year to our 4-H Program! Jade will be handling our clubs and county programs in 4-H. She will work closely with our volunteers and 4-H families as we get ready for a great year filled with some of our old familiar programs, as well as some new and exciting ones. Feel free to download our app to check out our schedule of events and what is coming up. The app download is free and can be found in your Google or Apple store as “4-H Now!”  Just download the app, and when you open it look for Robeson County 4-H. It’s the fastest and easiest way to keep up with all the fun we are having.

Looking forward to what 2024 has to offer is a lot of fun and really exciting. Please don’t mind me if I savor being in the void of Christmas and New Years for a moment more. 2023 had a lot to offer and we had more than 6,100 youth who took part in our program last year. It was a stellar year. 2024 promises to be spectacular. So I am just going to sit here for a few more minutes with my hot chocolate and enjoy what was and what we hope will be. Hope you have a chance to savor the void and the possibilities of tomorrow.

From all of us here at N.C. Cooperative Extension, Happy New Year!

For more information, please contact Shea Ann DeJarnette, 4-H Youth Development with North Carolina Cooperative Extension, Robeson County Center, at 671-3276, by E-mail at Shea_Ann_DeJarnette@ncsu.edu or visit our website. Shea Ann is also licensed by the Emily Post Institute as a child etiquette teacher.