2014 Resolutions
This past year I had three resolutions:
- Read 24 books - This may not seem like much, but reading books means that I have to take time away from everything else going on and dedicate it to an activity that I have grown to not enjoy. When I was a child, I couldn't help but read books. I read anything and everything I could get my hands on, but when I went to college, reading became a mandatory activity that lost all of its pleasure. So, reading and I needed to become reacquainted.
The great thing about reading is that it is a lot like riding a bike... You just need to be willing to work out those lazy muscles and keep going when you encounter failures and obstacles. I started with books that were going to be made into movies such as the Divergent series, Fault in Our Stars (and any other John Greene book like paper Towns, Gone Girl (and anything else by Gilliam Flynn), However, my favorite by far was Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children and Hollow City by Ransom Riggs. I cannot wait for the next book!
Needless to say, I made it to 26 books about a month ago and am almost finished with 27. I think that I could realistically go for 36 books this year as long as I can find some books to keep me motivated.
- Run a 5k - Soooo, this one I was not as successful at... meaning that I dd not do it but I did make it the gym and I have not dropped it as a goal. I have already purchased my tickets for the Color Me Rad 5k and plan to also sign up for the Color Run. The fact that I am still willing to participate in an event involving my least favorite physical activity should something about my dedication. So I will try this again in 2015!
- Be Creative - I can't say that my job isn't somewhat creative but after spending a day in an office, it can become difficult to remember what gives us joy. This may come as a surprise to some but I do enjoy crafts of all sorts. I am probably most known for my baking but I know how to knit/crochet, paint/draw and sew, and always open to the possibility of learning more.
However, I found that I was losing myself in my work... literally. Every moment consuming me where I was doing work before work, driving to work and staying late then driving home to make dinner so I could work from home until bed. I needed to find what made me tick again.
A dear friend invited me to attend a social club where we would transform blank canvases into works of art. I almost didn't go because painting is not my thing, but "nothing ventured, nothing gained." So I went and I was instantly hooked. What started as sunflowers, became dragonflies, snowmen and pigs!
I have used this creative outlet to motivate me to broaden my horizons. I have now started trying new mediums such as fused glass and teaching myself graphic design on opensource software with the help of YouTube.
My first project with Gimp. It looks incredibly simple, and is, but it takes a lot of steps to get there.
Fused glass window hanger and pendant.
Not the finished project but will update when I pick them up next weekend.
Review:
It would be unfair to say that 2014 was uneventful. My family accomplished much. My daughter was active in cheerleading, which we made plenty of new friends through. She finished pre-k and started kindergarten. My husband got closer to finding his dream job, and we've grown stronger with each hurdle that we have been presented.We even gained two new additions to our family:
-1.jpg) |
| Spencer & Chase |
However, life comes with balance... 2014 was also a year of great loss. It would be cheap and incorrect to say that we lost two of beloved pets when in reality we lost members of our family and very dear friends.
 |
| Abby & Buggah |
ABBY
 |
| Abbigail "Abby" Grace May 28, 2003 - April 26, 2014 |
Abby was an amazing dog with a huge heart. She was always there to comfort me and fill our home with her amazing spirit. I could not ask for a better friend.
BUGGAH
 |
| My Buggah November 28, 2009 - August 8, 2014 |
Loss is hard no matter how you look at it, but it is particularly difficult when you feel like you should have had more time. No words can express the hole in my heart that was created when I lost Buggah.
Discovery:
Loss also comes in all forms. In a sense that you can lose yourself and have to lose another in order to rediscover who you are.
I have spent many years resenting others in my past and blaming them for what never was, and it really hindered where I was going. I don't know how to explain it, but I made a decision that I was worth more than that and I wanted to be happy, I spent a lot of time discovering what the root of what made myself most unhappy. I realized that it was constantly seeking the approval of those who were never going to be satisfied. I was also letting their image of me reflect onto how I felt about myself and it was dragging me down. Why would one choose to be around such a person? I don't know, but I wasn't going to do it anymore.
The decisions that I made to sever the ties that I have were not easy, and it does get lonely. But the comfront found in misery is still misery and is truly a weight that comes at a cost. Also, I have some pretty amazing people in my life, who allow me to feel good about myself. Some of them are family members and others are people who have surpassed being called friends because they are more like family than the traditional sense. I have also watched as each of them has transformed their own lives in their endeavors and become an inspiration. Whether it was always showing compassion and love through the willingness to help others, taking more time to spend with loved ones, or continue to challenge themselves and begin new journeys, I am always awed by them. In all, I am truly blessed to have them in my life.
2015?
I don't know where 2015 is gong to take me, but I going to continue to work harder and strive to be better -- better mom, better wife, better person. In comparison to that, everything else seems silly when I think about tangible goals. But as 2015 draws nearer, I can say that it will be like no other.
