NEW CASTLE —
Now that it's behind you, how would you rate the past year?
I love the opportunities given to us by the passing of a year-- a chance to reflect on what we've done, and even better, the renewed hope of making the next year even more amazing than the last.
It was another year of ups and downs for my family, as I'm sure it was for pretty much everybody. Once again, we brought some new people into our lives and watched as others left. It almost seems like a revolving door sometimes, as pieces of the puzzle fall into place and others are put to the side to await their chance to fit, to make sense in the big picture.
We put a few grand adventures into the photo album this past year, too: trips to Presque Isle and Ohiopyle, camping with friends, exploring Laurel Caverns. The kids grew and changed throughout the journeys, ever-morphing into bigger and better versions of themselves, learning from triumphs and from failures, always taking somewhat stumbling yet still certain steps toward destiny. It's such a miracle to be a part of that, and I'm sure that finally realizing how blessed I am to have been given this gift is my greatest lesson this year.
My son is now playing four instruments, and is on track to a career in the Air Force through his work with the Civil Air Patrol... a point of convergence for him that had been missing in his life before now. My daughter is honing her judo skills, and that combined with her growing self-confidence is turning her into stealthy and self-assured young lady, sure to find her niche in the world of other strong women, even if she does lead a double life as a secret ninja.
And now that I'm sure I have the kids on the right track, it's time to focus a little bit on myself again. It might seem strange that I can't seem to hone my energy in on more than one task at a time, but I'm a realist if nothing else, and I know my limitations. I dedicated 2012 to stabilizing the children, and 2013 is going to be about stabilizing me. (The real trick is maintaining the work I've done with them while I work on me... but I do love a good challenge!)
All in all, I'd rate 2012 as a pretty decent year... and I have high hopes that 2013 will be even better. I sure hope you're still along for the ride, because helping you make sense of your life is what makes mine make sense. (Say that ten times fast!)
Happy New Year, friends.
