A Challenge To You

For all of you starting the year and thinking Whew!  I'm so glad that 2023 is OVER!!  I challenge you to take an hour and look back through your pictures.  I did this yesterday trying to gain some perspective on a year that had left me feeling numb.  I am so glad that I did!  

Entering last year after the passing of my Mother In-Law in November 2022, I wanted to try to focus on home, family and seeing friends (which still was stunted post Covid).  What I found was the year was full of wonderful things.  I started cooking again...A LOT.  We focused on rehabing and planting the kitchen garden, We had dinners with friends and a girls weekend.  B and I spent a weekend away for our 25th wedding anniversary. I surprised my mom and flew back to California for Mother's Day (in retrospect, the best decision that I made last year).  We visited Rhi in Asheville. We drove to New York to go to my cousins wedding.  And I dusted off my rusty blog and began to write again. Whew!  Not such a bad year!!  

Then August came and we went back to California for our regular summer vacation, however this time my mom was having a major, yet relatively routine surgery.  That spiralled over ten weeks into pneumonia, unforseen infections, an additional surgery, recovery, then a sudden code overnight, ventilator, my dad going into the hospital as well, successful extubation, mom starting to chat again full of humor, then a month after that sudden respiratory failure, and her passing 2 hours later. The breathtaking grief associated with this long road that was truly unexpected overshadowed the year.  I am forever thankful that I was able to be present for the time my mom was hospitalized to help her and my dad navigate the rediculousness of our medical system at work (that would be a whole other post to even scratch the surface)!

My dad came and spent the month of December split between us, in Wisconsin, and my brother's family in New Jersey, and we were able to take time together to process, remember and love one another.  I mentioned in my last post some of my mom's last words to me You Can't Be Afraid of Life.  I've realized what an important exercise it is to look back at things in their entirety. It allows you to remember all of the good in the shadow of the difficult. It teaches gratitude and not to take anything for granted.  Reflecting on this I am walking, with intention into 2024.  

I is for Intentional #atozchallenge

So far through the A-Z Challenge I have talked about quite a range of things.  Since this is my first time participating, I did not want to restrict myself to a theme just in case I could not stick it through the whole twenty-six letters.  I write these posts on the day they are due using whatever inspiration comes to mind in the moments of the day.  As I look back thus far I have what could be a couple of themes emerging.  However, even among these few flowing threads is a single underlying heartbeat.  In one way or another they are all about living life intentionally.  Appreciate, Balance, Compromise, Detours, Energy, Feelings from Flamenco, Galileo and Hamsa all have an intrinsic pulse.  Whether you are spontaneous or deliberate always live with intention.  An intention to enjoy, experience life to its fullest, learn and grow.  Having a broad intention to embrace life can also help you even in times of uncertainty.  It gives you a focal point for positive energy and provides some added momentum for moving forward.