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December 30, 2022

Writing the date makes me smile. Not every day, but today specifically, because in writing 12/30/2022 it means that 2022 is about to come to an end, and personally, I’m OVER IT! Don’t get me wrong…2022 wasn’t ALL bad, but it had enough crap in it that I’m ready to rip the page off the calendar, ready to start with a fresh month, a fresh year, and all of the possibilities that come with the promise of a clean canvas. You get the idea; I’m ready to move on.

Or…AM I? What exactly does that mean…this “moving on” we so often speak of. Truthfully, it means something different for each person, given their situation. I don’t know if 2023 will be a year I “move on” per se, but I do hope to make some significant changes in my life.

Death will do that to a person.

The most significant and impactful thing that happened to me in 2022 is that my Dad died. I suppose that is the spark that ignited my search for who I really am. As I’ve gone through his personal items there have been a lot of papers to be shredded. It’s so strange to me to think that after a long life – he was 92, one can be reduced to a container of ashes, a bunch of papers to be shredded, and some mementos that your family holds onto. The death of Dad left me with so many questions, yearning for clarity, and a feeling of vulnerability that I had never felt before. I went in seek of these answers, and along the way I realized that I was also trying to find out who I am. I turned 50 in 2022, but the death of Dad is what really tipped me off center and made me question everything.

One thing I’ve learned on this journey is that everyone’s journey is different…it doesn’t matter if you’re on a health and wellness journey, an educational journey, the journey through grief, or any of the countless journeys we will go on as we live. Everyone’s journey is different. That is a simple truth. But, as different as they are, we will also often find similarities and it is in those similarities that we find comfort. We find comfort that we are NOT alone in our journey.

That is my hope for this blog – that you will read a post, find a similarity, and perhaps feel a bit less lonely on your own journey. I hope the posts cause you to pause, think, and realize that there is always someone out there who empathizes and feels your pain or joy. Remember…you are never alone.