A friend challenged me with some questions about the old year and the new year and I want to save my response and also to be more transparent here on my blog. So, since it is already written and all, here it is:
Did you accomplish what you wanted to in 2010?
2010 was a year of emotional recovery for me. I had a tragic accident (full discussion of that here) in December of 2009 and it pretty much just tore me apart. I spent a lot of time in therapy working through that issue and the many others that seemed to be dragged out of the closet to keep my accident trauma company. Combined with Molly’s health issues and getting those sorted out (allergies and reflux – which seem to be mostly gone, and asthma – which is definitely not gone), it seemed that I spent 2010 mostly just getting by. Just existing was enough work for me.
But sometime in the fall I realized that my head was clearing and I was feeling more alive and more like *myself* than I had felt in any time I could ever remember. What an amazing feeling! I am still far behind on my house and overwhelmed by my family’s demands (how could I NOT be?) But suddenly, I felt a fog lift and I began to think, to be happy, to desire to express things that were simply part of me and not just aspects of me-as-mother or me-as-wife. On the one year anniversary of my accident, I realized that I had stopped counting how long it had been from the event in days and weeks and months and had somewhere along the line just started living.
What will be different in 2011?
2011 still holds more work for me personally. I need to work more on extended family relationships. That will be tricky, but I think it will be good for me. I think this year will be a year of positive movement still, without so much negative energy to fuel it. I hope to write more, to read more, and to be a more positive influence on my own family. (By yelling less, for example.) I started a new blog in 2010 http://circlingjericho.blogspot.com/ and every time I post to it, I kick myself and tell myself it is stupid, but within hours I get an email or message from someone thanking me profusely and encouraging me to keep it up. So I guess I won’t quit it yet.
What was the best thing about this past year?
Mostly that it is over. But I am grateful for the personal progress I made. Jay released his Christmas CD and having him gone all the time to work on that was really hard, but it is done now and is utterly beautiful. I am so proud of him.
What are you looking forward to?
I am looking forward to starting this year on a healthy note, last year began with me curled in a ball on the couch, barely functional. I have a lot of things I want to work on this year, spiritually, physically, and mentally. I will be leading a weekend mom’s retreat this summer, and I plan to start working on that in the next month. That will be a challenge because I have so little time to spend in study and prayer now, but it will necessitate that I change that and stick to it.
What are you thinking as you move forward to 2011 and how are you going to celebrate this weekend?
I am so thankful of the contrast of where I was at this time last year and where I am now.
This weekend involved sick kids, going to bed early, sleeping late (relatively speaking) and ICE CREAM. Mmmmm…. Next on to working on weight loss, at least until I get pregnant again. 😉