OLW...End of Year Reflection

Thank you to Two Writing Teachers for hosting Slice of Life Tuesdays.  Please visit their site to read other slices and leave a comment or two.

Discover

It's been a year of discovery for me.  Focusing on this One Little Word has helped me pay attention to the little things.  When I chose Discover as my word, I envisioned discovering new places to dine (my husband and I really like going out to eat), and new places to visit...maybe some new recipes (hmmm...things seem to revolve around food).  I did discover all of those things, but I also discovered so much more.

Once a month, I meet up with some friends for Sunday brunch.  Our friend Stella has organized us and she KNOWS our town.  We try new restaurants and we spend the next few hours laughing and sharing favorite books we've read.  I am currently reading The Reason I Jump: The Inner Voice of a Thirteen Year-Old Boy with Autism and can't wait to start The One Thing, both books I learned about at brunch.  Sharon shared The Best Yes, which was a great book for me to read.  I knew I needed to read it when I read the description:  Are you living with the stress of an overwhelmed schedule and aching with the sadness of an underwhelmed soul? And if you haven't heard about Serial, you need to check it out.  I'm hooked and find myself listening to this riveting podcast every time I'm in the car.  From the website:  Serial is a podcast from the creators of This American Life, and is hosted by Sarah Koenig. Serial tells one story - a true story - over the course of an entire season. Each season, we'll follow a plot and characters wherever they take us. And we won’t know what happens at the end until we get there, not long before you get there with us. Each week we bring you the next chapter in the story, so it's important to listen to the episodes in order, starting with Episode 1.   

I am on Episode 7 and am looking forward to listening to the rest of the series before winter break is over.

Franki shared TheSkimm and I'm so glad I discovered it this year. These two ladies have such great voice and I find myself trying to guess the story based on the headlines. So far, I'm not so great at it, but they make me chuckle. I read it in the morning before I go to work and it makes me feel like I can talk intelligently about what's going on in the world.

After two years of having no pets in the house, Scout and Jem adopted us right after Thanksgiving. I rediscovered how much fun (and work!) having puppies can be.

I watched both my mother and mother-in-law deal with serious health issues this summer and fall. I discovered what love looks like after 50 and 60 years of marriage. I saw sides of my dad and father-in-law that I hadn't seen before and it has been so beautiful to watch.

In fact, I discovered a lot about my dad this summer. After a brief explanation of hashtags on Twitter,

I started calling my dad #Awesome because he was literally awesome in how he took over Mom's care. I then got the nickname "#AwesomeToo. I spent quite a bit of time at their house before and after surgery. Some of the times I enjoyed the most were those Dad and I spent fixing dinner together. It turns out that we make a good team in the kitchen. Imagine my surprise when I opened my gift this Christmas.  

It's been a year of ups and downs. I've dealt with things that I never thought I'd deal with as a wife and mother, but in the end, I discovered some important truths...

• Some things are worth fighting for, especially when the going is tough. 
• Your kids never stop needing you. It doesn't matter how old they are. You never stop worrying and will do whatever is needed to help your kids, no matter how old they are. 
• It's ok to ask for help. You don't need to be strong all the time and you don't need to have all the answers all the time. 
• Family and friends are a lifeline. Sharing stories is healing. 
• Prayer is essential. 

Discovery has been a good word for me this year. I'm still waiting for my new word to find me, although I think it's lurking nearby. 

Here's wishing you a very happy New Year!