HO HO HO… That Time of the Year Again
HO HO HO… is it that time of the year again?
Or is it just me, or does time seem to fly faster every year?
My favorite holiday season is back, along with a tradition I truly enjoy: my Christmas blog post. In the past, I said that “it was a year of radical changes in my life”—and honestly, I was lying. Nothing compares to the last five months of this year and what lies ahead.
A Year of Big Changes and New Beginnings
First of all, our family is growing. A baby boy is on the way, which alone makes this an unforgettable time. On top of that, we are moving to a brand‑new, bigger house. As a result, life has been busy, chaotic, and incredibly exciting.
Because of all this, you may have noticed that the number of blog posts I publish has decreased. However, this is only temporary. I promise this will change once I’m fully settled in the new house—at least until the baby is born (hehe).
Looking Back, Looking Forward
This time of year invites reflection. It’s time to look back and plan for the future. More importantly, it’s time to let go of the worst moments and embrace what’s ahead with hope, goals, and new challenges.
Likewise, it’s the perfect moment to remember those dreams sitting quietly in a box. Even if they feel distant, we should try to bring them to life. After all, it’s better to try and fail than never have the courage to try.
For me, family and friendship remain the most important things we have. Therefore, I intend to keep them close and enjoy every moment we share.
Season’s Greetings to the Community
To all my readers, friends, and coworkers—thank you.
To the entire Microsoft Integration Community (BizTalk Server, Logic Apps, API Management, Service Bus, and more), the Visio Community, Microsoft Product Groups, the Portuguese Communities, my MVP “family,” and, of course, my own family:
I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
📝 One-Minute Brief
A short holiday message to the integration and BizTalk community, wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, and reflecting gratitude for the support, learning, and collaboration throughout the year.
Thank You — and See You Next Year
Finally, thank you for all the support and encouragement throughout this year. It truly means a lot. I hope the coming year will be filled with new articles, new ideas, and continued knowledge sharing.
As always, I promise to keep sharing what I learn—hoping it helps someone along the way.
And in my native language (Portuguese):
HO HO HO, é sim… é aquela época do ano em que podemos nos tornar crianças de novo! E como já se tornou habitual nesta época do ano, é como uma espécie de tradição agora… A todos os meus leitores, amigos, família e a todas as comunidades, meus sinceros votos de um bom Natal, um feliz Ano Novo e um 2018 cheio de bons negócios, muita saúde, felicidade e, claro, muitas integrações.
É hora de olhar para o passado e planear o futuro. Esquecer o pior que acontecer, olhar para o futuro e abraçá-lo com esperança e cheio de novos desafios e novos objectivos. Tempo para recordar seus sonhos que estão adormecidos numa caixa qualquer e, pelo menos, tentam concretizá-los, mesmo que falhe! Pois é sempre melhor tentar e falhar do que nunca ter a coragem de tentar. Para mim, a família e as amizades são o melhor que temos e pretendo tê-las ao redor e desfrutar da sua companhia.
Desde já obrigado por todo o apoio e incentivo dado ao longo deste ano e que o próximo seja um ano recheado de novos artigos, da minha parte fica a promessa que irei continuar a partilhar conhecimento na esperança de poder sempre ajudar alguém.
Hope you find this helpful! If you liked the content or found it useful and would like to support me in writing more, consider buying (or helping to buy) a Star Wars Lego set for my son.
Merry Christmas. And Happy New Year. Have a good one.