Wow….

To say that this year did not go in any way according to any plans I may have had would be a complete understatement! I am someone who has always been forced to follow plans due to having so many things that I needed to do and places that I needed to be. It was a difficult year. In the last thirteen months I think I have been more sick than ever. I have had a lot of loved ones suffering with medical conditions, some where they can’t even find what it is that is really going on. If plans have been made, they’ve gotten arranged last minute, changed, changed again, and still thrown out in the moment of them happening. 

⠀.　　　　　　　⠀✦ ⠀ ⠀.　　　　　　　　　　　　.　　⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀* ⠀⠀⠀.　　　　　　　　　　. ⠀⠀　ﾟ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀  ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀. 　　✦⠀　   　　　,　　　　　　　　　✦                             .      　　　　　⠀　　   　, ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀.　　　　　 　⠀　　　⠀.　    　　˚

I did end up seeing my family way more than I ever would have thought, and all year we got to do way more than usual together. We did almost everything that we set out to do. I did as much learning as I could in any free time that I could find. With my body being more limited and not being able to go out and do all the things that I wanted to, I spent more time reading and researching things that had been grabbing my interest. I spent a lot more time just sitting in the moments of life.

If there were smells or sights or feelings that I was really enjoying, I would try to sit for an extra moment, even if I was “in a hurry.” Moments, and all of life, pass so quickly when you’re mindlessly caught up in them. You need to be intentional about taking moments that you want to really live in. Revel in the little details of it and soak up as much as you can.

At first, I was afraid maybe I would be wasting my time if I stopped doing things to just sit there in a moment just pondering it and the things on my mind and how I felt and had been feeling, and whatever else. Isn’t it sad that we get so used to needing to do things that we think the absence of doing things is bad? This year has taught me that throwing plans out and doing less can be a really beautiful thing. Just one example of that from my year is that I met so many incredible people and really learned to come out of my shell more than I ever thought I would. I shared laughs, heard stories and learned things that I never would have if I had been too busy doing things.

⠀.　　　　　　　⠀✦ ⠀ ⠀.　　　　　　　　　　　　.　　⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀* ⠀⠀⠀.　　　　　　　　　　. ⠀⠀　ﾟ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀  ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀. 　　✦⠀　   　　　,　　　　　　　　　✦                             .      　　　　　⠀　　   　, ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀.　　　　　 　⠀　　　⠀.　    　　˚

Another thing that I started doing was going on unplanned “adventures.” It was something I did as a way to force myself into taking breaks. I’m very good at being a workaholic. If I started feeling like I needed a break with whatever I was doing, instead of forcing myself to finish what I was working on, I would get up and go out for a drive. Some days I had a destination in mind. Other days I would just see where I ended up. Some days I would go for a walk. Other days I wouldn’t get out of the car or even stop anywhere. I found a lot of neat places that I hadn’t known about before. 

It was around September or October when I saw a post. The person would pick a color and they would go out and follow the color. I thought that was a nice way to slightly change my unplanned adventures. So I picked orange and went out to follow my color until I felt like I found the end.

My day where I had planned to work nonstop on things at home turned into a day of working on things with an afternoon full of seeing fall and Halloween decorations around the area; finding a beautiful park and cute, little city to go to; meeting new people and having wonderful, unexpected conversations with them while getting to pet their sweet puppy. I was just thinking about heading back for dinner when it started raining. I hadn’t thought I was going to need a break, but it was so rewarding and gave me a perfect afternoon adventure to enjoy. The thing is, I got most of what I had wanted to get accomplished done even with being gone all afternoon having fun and enjoying the fall colors.

⠀.　　　　　　　⠀✦ ⠀ ⠀.　　　　　　　　　　　　.　　⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀* ⠀⠀⠀.　　　　　　　　　　. ⠀⠀　ﾟ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀  ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀. 　　✦⠀　   　　　,　　　　　　　　　✦                             .      　　　　　⠀　　   　, ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀.　　　　　 　⠀　　　⠀.　    　　˚

As we go into this new year, I hope you all take moments to revel in. Stop to do a 360, to smell everything and see everything, to take in the delightful sounds around you. Take pictures, smell the flowers or the fresh brewed coffee, see how blue the sky is or how green the grass is. Taste the richness of the dessert you’re sharing with your loved ones, hear their laughter mingle, feel the warmth of the moment together, surrounded with sparkles and twinkling lights. Feel the raindrops brushing your skin or the snowflakes collecting, sing and dance, explore, have fun, be love, spread kindness and joy. 

I hope you are all well and enjoying the very best of holidays!

Always with love.

-S