I am always captivated by the hope and motivation that goes along with New Year’s resolutions. I love making them myself, hearing about other people’s, and I especially love that squeeky-new feeling of early January when I feel like anything can happen in the year ahead. As I work towards slowing down the pace of my life and being more mindful, I find that it is also very good for me to look back on the past year. It is really easy for me to just go from one thing to the next without a chance to reflect, and this means I often miss out on how far I have come. So I will share a small snippet of what I am grateful for in 2023, before it is all over, and maybe inspire you to do the same!

Our big event of last year was having the opportunity to take our first “real” vacation. We spent some time with a relative in Florida. Due to the way my husband’s work schedule was arranged, we had the chance to go for almost three weeks! It was pretty amazing to be able to explore a new place leisurely instead of feeling like we had to cram as much as possible into a few days.

Health wise, I started seeing a new doctor around that time too. She was able to diagnose an underlying condition I have had for years and start treating me for it. Despite some other medical up and downs I can truthfully say that this is the healthiest I have been in years, and I am so incredibly grateful!

We lost my Mumma (Grandmother) early this year, which was hard. As difficult as it has been to pass all of the birthdays and holidays without her this year, I wanted to add this to my list because of how much it meant to me to get the chance to see so many of my aunts, uncles, and cousins on that side of the family. There are so many of us and we live so far from each other that being able to gather that way this summer was incredibly meaningful, and the best tribute we could have given her.

A big gratitude of mine this year is that I have been taking time to draw and paint again. It is an important part of myself that I had let slide for a time when the kids were small. I have tried to be intentional about finding ways to include making art in my routine this year, and I am so grateful that I did!

When I started feeling better in the summer, I began to tackle the list of things in my house that just weren’t quite working right. I did everything from little jobs like re-hanging curtains so that they closed more smoothly to big ones like re-arranging spaces and replacing some of our old furniture. (With new-to-us old furniture that was intentionally chosen for a certain space instead of just a hand-me-down, but still!) The difference all of those little tasks together have made in how functional our space is is huge!

Homeschool wise, the thing I am the most grateful for have been the fieldtrips! Having so many things be either cancelled or modified during the pandemic years has made me truly appreciate being able to attend so many things this year. We have been to historical villages, conservation areas, fun places with friends, and an absolute plethora of museums. (I swear that the local museums must have been stockpiling ideas that they couldn’t wait to use, because we have been to a lot of awesome ones this fall!)

Friend and family wise there has been a lot to celebrate too. I won’t share anyone else’s details, but there have been a lot of happy things I have celebrated along with some of my favorite people. Weddings, babies, new houses, promotions… I am so grateful for every new blessing on the people that I love. I have been fortunate to be close enough to spend time with my family, and to have an incredibly supportive group of friends.

I hope you will humor me and try this little exercise in gratitude yourself. It is so easy to let another year pass without really seeing the good things that had happened. Wishing you a peaceful end to 2023, and I will see you next year!

From,

Kathryn

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