2019 is Here and I did a Thing!

2019 is here, and I did a thing! Firstly, I would like to wish you all a joyous New Year, full of peace and happiness.

How about 2018?! It was quite the awesome ride and am I forever thankful! Thankful for the many new friends I met along the way and the true friendships and family I’ve come to appreciate more and more. Thankful for God, the Universe and all we are blessed with every day.

I look back over the year with happiness and fulfillment, despite the ever present hard lessons that insert themselves along the way. Yes, there are bumps and bruises every year but much progress is made mindfully, spiritually, emotionally, and humanly. 2018 was no different. Yet I do recognize that growth is ever transcending so I gleefully anticipate more to come in 2019.

2018 was a year of change and taking risks. Of learning when to let go and when to persevere. Of making the most out of hard decisions and creative moments! It was another year of saying goodbye to loved ones, setting others on new paths, rekindled relationships and welcoming gains that are unfolding now and hopefully into the future! I have discovered new ways to do things, new ways to see things and embraced change. I realized I have come to a place of true healing in the grief cycle over my father’s death. It only took ten years but I no longer cry everyday or even weekly. Of course I started crying as I typed this…oh ain’t life grand! These highs and lows and everything in between can be summed up as simply poignant and beautiful.

Furthermore, I have a big HAPPY NEW YEAR to me! They say new year, new chapter…and I took that quite literally when exactly one year ago Hopeservations.com went live. Well, as of last night, I took it quite literal again. As I head into the new year, I submitted my first piece to a magazine publication. Who knows what will come of it? Quite possibly – nothing and it will be a path to learn how to accept allowing oneself to continually be vulnerable in the face of rejection. However like my name, I am ever hopeful and feel certain I found a good place to start. This has been a goal of mine, to determine a place for a first submission and suddenly something came to me yesterday and so…in literally an hour, exactly one year later…I composed it all and did it! It’s was the first but won’t be the last. Go girl!!!

Along that measure, I want to extend a hearty thank you to all the supporters of Hopeservations.com. I am grateful for every email subscriber, follower, faithful commenter and human that cheers me along. You people know who you are. If anyone wants to encourage a friend or pass my site along, it just continues to spread the love and “a place to find hope everyday.”  I am still a baby blogger yet ever growing with a long term vision that may or may not fully unfold yet as this is a path of discovery, each post is a joyful moment. Whichever way it goes is simply a step forward.

Another first, just this morning, as I woke my family to head to the beachside to enjoy the new year’s very first sunrise, a friend of the kids who slept over admitted he had never actually seen a sunrise at the beach before. He was excitedly putting on his shoes as I hurried everyone to the car and watching his anticipation made the moment that much sweeter. This was a gentle reminder to continue to be grateful for all the little things we have access to and to be mindful of everyone’s experiences and of their possible firsts…

“The beauty of any first time is that it leads to a thousand others…” – Pico Iyer

However above it all, this year has been an important lesson for me to realize that each person has to do what works best for them and their life! I also accepted that I may not always speak or act in ways that reflect my authentic self but that does not take away from me and I am forever striving to be in alignment with my true nature. Be gentle with yourself and one another…life is too short and challenging enough, so when I say, “Go In Love”…I truly mean, go in love!

“Lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humanity and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love.” – Ephesians 4:1-2

So all that being said, in light of the fresh new year, there will be no resolutions, because we aren’t supposed to have it all together! It is simply a continuation of awesome self discovery, following what sings to my soul, plucks at my heart strings and fires my creative mind to keep on keeping on…in all things… I have my heartfelt intentions!

So now I am off to do what I do – stir my collards, check my pork roast, season my Hoppin’ John and ready my corn pones. New Year’s Day simply isn’t right without the right meal.

And to everyone…may 2019 bring you great things! Peace, prosperity, serenity and may you keep on keeping on…in all your things. Whatever they may be and I pray your faith be greater then your fear because as always…