Friday, December 30, 2016

Leaving 2016 Behind

It's the eve of the last day of 2016.  This has been by far one of the happiest and most challenging years of my life.  As I'm nestled under a blanket and wanting to get back to writing, I knew that I needed to reflect on 2016 before hitting the ground running in 2017.

First, the good.  I published a book... I did it for myself, to prove I could do it, and am happy that some people wanted to read it.  My youngest got into the college of his choice, graduated high school in the top 15% of his class, and played in multiple college football games.  My oldest graduated college, and yes I cried at graduation.  My husband and I celebrated our 24th wedding anniversary and our 28th first date anniversary.  I had a great summer and fall taking senior pictures, and was able to take a season full of football pictures too.  We are on the end of our holiday vacation and we were able to ride nearly every day, with our whole family.

Now, the bad. My job was outsourced and I took a temporary position until I find something perfect and permanent.  My  mom's health forced her into a surgery that was unexpected, and a recovery that has been less than stellar, putting stress not only on her, but on the relationship with her children that do talk to her.  I've had to delete and block family from my social feeds because they find it necessary to spread info about me and my family.  Yes, I know when you post it on social that it's free game, but it hurts that instead of just asking a question about my life, info gets spun into something more. As both my husband and I get older, life gets harder and harder to do the normal day to day things. Knees creak a little more, elbows are sore at the end of the day and backs just aren't 25 years old anymore.

And then we have the bad that has or will turn out good.  My MIL moved from her home into an apartment where she has made new friends and began a new normal.  I had a fabulous series of interviews ten days ago that will hopefully turn into that perfect position.  My husbands home inspection business has traction, and we know some day that will be his career.  I started thinking about what I should write next, and if it is what I anticipate, I hope those I write about forgive me.  On the flip side, there is a novel brewing and I know it will be a best seller.

As 2016 rolls into 2017, life will get better.  They say that life is what you make it.  So I made a conscious effort a couple of months ago to think positive, to see the things I want and know that they will be mine.  To know that the law of attraction will bring more home inspections for my husband, a great job for myself, a teaching license for my oldest, and a great job to boot.  A successful college experience for my youngest.  A novel that makes people laugh, or cry or just think about life and how it makes them happy.  A blog that gets written at least a day a week, but more likely double that.  Family that worries more about their own lives than that of mine and my family.  Photography jobs that help launch a true career.  Health that turns the bend to be better.  Great getaway weekends that help refresh us.  A long snowmobile season. A reading list that gets successfully tackled. A spring, summer and fall of great weather.  A successful football season.  And health, wealth and happiness for us and all of our family and friends.

To any and all that read this.  I'm pleading with you.  Think positive.  I have a friend that swears by the law of attraction, so much that she no longer parks anywhere further than a few parking spots away from a door...even when fighting the holiday crowds.  I have a friend that built a new life after leaving corporate America, and now not only works from home, but travels and gets to see her kids more than she ever saw co-workers.  We all need to think more positive.  Life is too short to bring negativity into it.  I'm not saying its all going to be wine and roses, and unicorns and lollipops.  I'm saying that if I want to get that perfect job, I will have the perfect interview, write the perfect follow up note, and get after it, because I DESERVE IT.