A Year Later and Doing Well….

Well, friends, 2017 was an interesting year for my entire family…. So much happened….. cancer diagnosis for my brother (he’s doing great!)… a flood down 3 stories in my house (but I now have a GORGEOUS new bathroom)… I broke my hand (my right hand and yes I’m right handed)… the trees on the side of my house fell and hit the house (no major damage…except for my broken hand)…pneumonia for my father in law 2+ times (he’s doing well right now)…. painful kidney stones for my mother in law (she finally has some relief after a year of pain)….the lose of another neighborhood dad 🙁 ….NEW FRIENDS…. a road trip to Florida with some of my Greenwood Peeps…. a road trip to PA with Jeff to visit friends… a road trip up north with friends…. Fathers Day weekend trip to Florida with my girls…. a trip to Disney World with Uncle Jeff (the highlight of their year) and our Greenwood Peeps….. a reconciliation with a friend <3 …. more college classes (getting closer to my goal but still a ways away).. good tears and bad tears…. along with so many laughs with our family and friends who I love so much….

Thank you, EVERYONE, who helped make this year as good as it could be for us. Those of you that were there for us to make us laugh or to listen to me when I cried (and screamed, yelled, cursed….), encouraged me when I was down and helped me find my way as a single 44-year-old widowed mom of two pre-teen girls who are so angry at the universe.

What a whirlwind of a year!!!

BUT I DID IT!!!

I made it through all of that and I’ve come out stronger, smarter, wiser and more confident than I have been in years. For the longest time, I felt like I couldn’t catch my breath…. but I can breathe again.

And my girls…. oh HOW proud I am of them! These kids… they don’t deserve any of this… but I see strength and resilience in them, I see them becoming better people, more understanding of others…. more compassion for those around them…. but I still see a LOT of pain, anger and sadness and that will take years to get through… but they will, I just know it.

THEY ARE MY WORLD!!!

I know our struggles aren’t gone… I’m still navigating this NEW Normal, but on Dec 31st of 2016 I didn’t know how I was going to do it… however today, Dec 31st of 2017 I know I can do it.

I’m sure 2018 is going to bring more sadness because that is life, but I believe it’s also going to bring even more HAPPINESS and FUN.

2018… Bring it on!!! I’m ready for another year… and I’m hopeful!