Ringing in 2016
I am overjoyed the New Year is finally here. It is a bit strange to hear this come from me, given that I usually try and convince my husband that we should keep Christmas going until Valentine’s Day. The past two years have been some of the best of my life…we’ve also endured some of the toughest hardships we’ve faced in our lives.
In the past two years, both David and I have lost our grandpas. We lost a close friend due to an incredibly tragic accident. We’ve watched our sweet, baby niece fight for her life and go through open heart surgery mere weeks after she was born. To cap it off, we’ve cut the luxuries we’ve grown accustomed to since graduating college and landing jobs in San Francisco, so that my husband can start and grow his business.
There have been many things that have been difficult to endure the past couple of years, but that is not the way I choose to look at my life. In the past two years, both David and I have gotten to watch our grandpas peacefully say goodbye to their lives on earth and enter eternity with their Savior. Both of our grandpas were pushing 90 years old and lived incredibly rich and full lives on this earth, and we had the benefit of having them in our lives. We’ve had our friends, family, and church literally surround us and our loved ones in prayer and support, which has allowed us to grow strong, solid, lifelong community. We’ve watched our niece, Penny, fight for her life and become a strong, beautiful toddler who is capable of anything. To cap it all off, we’ve gotten the motivation to remove distractions from our lives and focus on our marriage, family, and friends by taking time to smell the roses and enjoy the smaller, more simple things in life.
In 2016, I am not looking to have a fresh start in the new year. I am not setting up unrealistic resolutions, or any resolutions to be frank, that are only going to last for so long. I am looking forward to the many new adventures we are going to embark on this year. I am going take what I have learned from the previous years and apply it to my life for constant improvement on the person I already am.
I believe that happiness is a choice. The last four words of that sentence are ones that I speak often, they are also ones that are criticized often. Nobody lives a perfect life. We are all faced with good times, bad times, and downright hard times, but I believe it is what we do with those situations that shape our lives and our happiness. I think it would be fairly easy to look at the past two years and wallow in loss, hardship, and financial woes. Instead, I choose to look back on the past two years and say “Wow, I am truly blessed”. I’ve gotten engaged, married the love of my life, added 2 (soon to be 3) nieces to my family, celebrated an anniversary, traveled to 7 counties and 8 states, and have gotten to spend countless hours making memories with the people who matter to me most.
I am overjoyed the New Year is finally here. I am blessed to have my faith, family, friends, and health. I’m not sure what this next year will bring, but whatever it is, I can’t wait to see what my cup fills up with.
