The Mandatory 2022 Year-End Essay
Because it isn’t the New Year without one.
I have had a go at being 25 for three months now, and so far, everything’s been a little different. I remember thinking to myself the night before my birthday that I think I’m at peace. I’m happy. And I didn’t write it down out of fear of jinxing it, but it’s the last few days of the year anyway, so I may as well.
I entered this year promising that, above all else, I’d prioritize growth. Only that. Because the simplest things are often the most challenging, and it was. Everyone loves talking about progress but rarely about how uncomfortable it is to get to the other side of it all. Growth means painfully shedding bad habits and all the heavy things that go with them. I say “painfully” because knowing something is terrible never makes letting go any easier. Actual growth means recognizing that fact and coupling it with patience because we’re all bound to make mistakes along the way.
This year, I landed a job that allows me to write about things that I’m passionate about. I also picked up an old project I’d always wanted to go back to. I’m also down to my last few semesters of law school and am still fighting. I’ve learned that saying “no” isn’t always a bad thing. I started going to the gym again and taking better care of myself. And although I’m still continuously working on it, I’ve established a healthier relationship with myself and those most important to me. It’s slow going some days, but it’s the fact that we’re constantly on the road to bettering ourselves that counts. I’m thankful for both the patience and support I’ve received.
I laughed, I cried, and I read through hundreds and hundreds of pages. I wrote. I went to the beach. And then I wrote some more. I saw my friends and laughed a ton, and found my back to a few places I used to call home. I watched movies and shot people and places on film. I was happy. I am happy. And I hope I’ll be twice as much next year. Thanks, 2022.
Note: I first posted this little essay on my Instagram account so this probably qualifies as an update. As I’m writing this specific paragraph down, I can hear my family downstairs laughing as they argue over which meal to cook first and what time they’ll let the little kids go off and play games. Life has been kind, may it continue to be so.
