And So It Is

In 2008, I loved, I lived, I cried, I laughed, I gave, I learned, I created, I changed.

I could go on forever but I won't bore you with the details. I can only say that this year has been a year of transition for me. I experienced a lot that has redefined the woman that is me. I am better I am wiser and stronger all because of:

The maternal grandmother who proclaimed that she could now (at 93)"die in peace" having seen her first born daughter's only child again.

The family that loved me so much even without knowing me and teaching me the lesson that love is not always something I have to WORK so hard for.

The young girls that I met that are transitioning from foster care who reminded me of my purpose and letting me know that my idea is not stupid but is very viable and necessary.

The job that forced me to redefine myself once again and taught me that despite the angst that comes with change and re-proving; it's necessary to remain resilient and be a maverick in order to compete.

The people that I met in Ghana and South Africa who opened my eyes to the reality of the world outside of the US and opened my heart to the possibility of being somewhere other than here.

The friends that reminded me of my strength, brilliance and worth, when my heart was breaking, my confidence was weakened, and my poise was shaken.

The God who kept me safe, strong, protected, provided for, wealthy, healthy, wise and loved every step of the way.

Not sure what 09 has for me and I don't care to plan every moment of it. I have some goals of course (I hate the notion of a resolution, what in life is resolute?) but I'm going in completely open, because if I've learned nothing else in 08, I've learned to be generous with myself in regards to giving in to the possibility, even if it means I fail, or things don't go my way. In 08, without knowing, I've done that. I was less uptight, I was like a baby, unafraid to explore the potential in everything that was presented to me. They said go to Africa and I said yes and figured out the details afterwards. I'm glad I did. I said yes to moving out of my comfort zone into a new city. I said yes to love even when it was not presented in the way I'd want my love wrapped up. I said yes to sharing my resources when my natural instinct is to be cheap and save every penny, lol...out of fear of being poor. I said yes to new challenges at work, school, my ministry, my relationships, and I am a better woman for it. I feel light and ready for whatever comes. I have some hopes for the next year but mostly I am saying yes to whatever 09 brings. Heck, why not?