2017 Was The Year...

I believe it is important to reflect on what has happened in a year because it is so easy to forget. Specifically, it is easy to forget all the good when we are focused on all the bad. It is easy to rush into the new year because you feel like this one let you down. But, when I stop and take time to think about the things this year brought – including the losses and the hard lessons – 2017 was much like any other year. Each year (even each season) brings the hope of new life, rebirth, resurrection. Here’s to staying hopeful in 2018 and thanking God for His goodness yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

The very start of 2017

2017 was the year…

·         I became a little louder and a little more vocal

·         I gained a new niece and a new sister

·         I was called a false prophet and a wolf in sheep’s clothing

·         I started blogging about books, my kids, and my beliefs

·         I started earning money by writing

·         I quit my online tutoring job

·         I met several authors (including David Sedaris)

·         I discovered the joys of wine delivery

·         I started regularly receiving book mail

·         We stopped buying diapers

·         Our daughter was fully potty trained

·         I started hosting a faith-based dinner club

·         Adult acne made an appearance

·         We lost count of the number of couples we knew getting divorced

·         I read close to 90 books

·         I got a new laptop and a new phone

·         I fully embraced my inner book nerd

·         I binge watched Riverdale

·         I started unfollowing and blocking people on social media

·         I used close to 10 notebooks for notetaking

·         I started buying office supplies (again)

·         I finally got rid of my (outdated) teacher clothes and accepted I may never go back

·         I made some new friends and grew closer to old friends

·         We drove through the night to get home from vacation when a stomach bug hit

·         My son started reading

·         I dropped the ball more than once

·         I opened my doors when the house was messy, and I hadn’t showered

·         I learned the hard lesson of knowing when to shut up (*still learning)

·         I had to carry my screaming daughter home from a field trip

·         I won a spa package

·         I read the first Harry Potter with my son

·         My faith deepened

·         My daughter got a big girl bed

·         I went sledding for the first time

·         We went to several live shows

·         I saw Dashboard Confessional with my brother (again)

·         We had a tire blow on a trip

·         I backed into my garage door more than once

·         I got a new car

·         I discovered book bars, book and wine pairings, and book-themed wine

·         I saw my name in print

·         I purchased a book I wrote

·         I got my own little free library

·         We took advantage of memberships to the fantastic places near us

·         I got my feelings hurt

·         I hurt other people’s feelings

·         I said “I’m sorry”

·         I put Poison Control on speed dial

·         My son lifted my dress to expose my backside to the whole mall food court

·         My youngest started school

·         I gained 9 precious hours a week to myself

·         We saw a solar eclipse in our backyard

·         I went to Colorado for the first time

·         I dyed my hair pink

·         I visited the Biltmore at Christmas

·         My daughter stopped napping

·         I found reasons to celebrate

·         I cried when it was necessary

What did 2017 look like for you? I’d love for you to share your thoughts with me.