Grateful for 2016 & Happy Flipping New Year

In the last few weeks of the year, I’ve read many others’ thoughts on how best to say “good riddance” to a horrendous 2016. But I’m not ready to classify 2016 as a holistically horrible year.

Given a choice, I think I would likely choose to live in a perpetual state of feel-good-everything-is-connected-coffee-fueled-emotionally-positive mania. But, like most of us who are earth-bound, I feel hurt; I feel frustration; I feel anger; I feel disappointment; I feel anxiety and I feel loss.

2016 provided me with fodder for each of those less-than-snuggly sensations, and I spent various amounts of time in each of those emotional states. Yet 2016 also provided opportunities for new relationships, incredible knowledge acquisition and sharing, personal resolve, spiritual reflection and deep, deep connections.

Whether you were devastated by literal and figurative nasty politics, what felt like a slew of celebrity deaths or an overwhelming personal crisis, you lived life in 2016.

I lived life in 2016.

And, for that, I am grateful.

Perspective is a powerful tool and viewing a roadblock, a wall, a deep crevasse as a challenge is sometimes all it takes for me to move from a mode of deep despair to an attitude of “Let’s get $hit done.”

So, to that end, I am especially grateful for the challenges: the emotional challenges that allowed me to share my vulnerabilities and brought me closer to others; the physical challenges that empowered and emboldened me to push harder; the social challenges that have inspired me to be more vocal in my global community; and yes, even the parenting challenges that kept me on my feet and reminded me that guidance and growth in a family is a two-way street.

Bidding a fond farewell to 2016, I am looking forward to a new year, new opportunities, new connections. Thanks to the events of 2016, I know that putting one foot in front of the other will likely get me through the year but I’d like to focus my steps a little more deliberately this year.

In 2017, I will march, dance, waltz, crawl, ride, run, stumble and pirouette. I will cry, laugh, sigh, yell, sing and giggle. I will feel all the feels but I will be especially attuned to love – loving my husband, my children, my family, my friends, my community and… wait for it… myself.

Happy Flipping New Year. May your each and every day in 2017 be filled with LIFE!