I haven’t blogged in a while and things keep happening in my life that I think, I should blog….and then I don’t. So, I thought this would be a good day to recap the awesomeness of my 32nd year and how BRAVE I’ve been thus far in 2014.
It’s been a crazy great year. I’ve traveled ALL OVER from family trips to Grand Cayman and Minnesota, to work trips in California, Toronto, Boston and more. My Mom stayed cancer free for a whole year and my brother not only married the woman of his dreams, but welcomed the beautiful baby of ours! I completed a ½ marathon and the Broad Street 10 miler and cheered my sister on through her two triathlons. I spent Thanksgiving in Kentucky taste testing bourbon with my Dad and then Christmas cooking while drinking bourbon (j/k) with the west coast family. I spent New Year’s in Minnesota learning that boiling water becomes powder when thrown into -60 degree air, and I spent “Spring Break” cuddling with my niece in the California sun. I can’t forget my trips to Chicago and Madison, WI to hang with Charlotte’s family and the many skype dates, show and tell sessions, and fashion shows we have had since. This past year also saw my surrogate Grandfather turn 90 years old and throw a fabulous party. I had a college reunion with my 9 college girlfriends, their 9 husbands and their 15 children. I spent a weekend with my Rhode Island kids and they taught me about whip sticks (video on Instagram) and gymnastics and reminded me that no matter how much time passes, I’ll always be the cool old nanny that they’ll cuddle with. This year welcomed COUNTLESS new babies and strengthened fabulous friendships, new and old. Needless to say, it has been a pretty fantastic year!
Holding my niece Sevina Sue for the first time
Finished the LA Rock n' Roll 1/2 marathon with my Momma and Emil cheering me on!
Hamming it up with my LG-Charlotte
2 of my favorite ladies: my Momma & my sissy in the California sunshine!
10 friends celebrate 15 years of friendship!
Broad Street 10 miler with my Philly besties!
Many of my babies new and newer!
There have been moments, though. Moments of doubt and fear
and anxiety and questions. When you pray for answers and patience and courage,
God wants to make sure you’re up for the challenge. I have sure tried to be. I
am blessed beyond measure to have women in my life who continue to walk this
road before me and with me and it is their hands I’m so thankful to hold on to.
So many have prayed with and for me; encouraged and challenged me; made me
laugh and hugged me when I cried; and loved me no matter what I’ve done. I am
without words to express my thankfulness for this life, these people, and this
past year.
So…this is my year of BRAVE, and I’m almost ½ way through. I’m
feeling pretty good about it. I opened my heart and that was fun. I’ve opened my mind to new opportunities and I’m
excited about where that’s leading. I opened my spirit to new friends,
challenges and dreams and that is fulfilling. We all have those moments when we
question, well, everything. Did I make the right decision? Did I do enough? Did
I screw it up? Will I ever find ____ (insert love, health, wealth, happiness
here)? Here’s my recent moment with that. I was running the Broad Street 10
miler on May 4th and I was crossing into the Navy Yard and had about
a quarter mile to go, I thought, am I being brave? And no joke, after 2 hours
of my workout playlist on shuffle, right then, Sara Bareilles’s Brave came on. Instantly I knew that God
was telling me, you’re doing fine. It was truly a “God moment” where I had no
doubt that He is the orchestrator of our whole lives.
Ok….so that is 32 in a nutshell. Tonight, I’m going to head
to the airport and my healthy, gorgeous, supportive Momma is going to pick me
up at LAX and we’re going to live like movie stars for 36 hours at the LA Live
Marriott and we’re going to get gussied up and see if we can’t get some nice
young gentleman to buy us some birthday drinks tomorrow night.
I want to leave you with one final thought. I recently read
The Divergent series and it was really great. Here is a quote from the end of
the series that is completely apropos to my year of BRAVE. I hope this quote
leaves your inspired and challenged for your year ahead!"There are so many ways to be brave in this world. Sometimes bravery involves laying down your life for something bigger than yourself, or for someone else. Sometimes it involves giving up everything you have ever known, or everyone you have ever loved, for the sake of something greater.
But sometimes it doesn't.
Sometimes it is nothing more than gritting your teeth through pain, and the work of every day, the slow walk toward a better life." p. 509 of Allegiant by Veronica Roth
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