The Year of Yes

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Suggested listening: Cloud Nothings "I'm Not Part of Me"

Real talk: 2017 could have been a dumpster fire for me.

This year marked the finalization of my divorce, the official end of my marriage, the legal farewell to the previous plans I had for my life.

Instead, to borrow an illustration from C.S. Lewis, 2017 felt like waking up out of a very long, strange winter into the joyful freefall of spring.

Instead, 2017 became the Year of Yes.

I said YES to the Women’s March in DC and to making a whirlwind less-than-24-hours road trip with Mel, to standing and marching side-by-side, to raising our voices for ourselves and our daughters.

I said YES to jumping into a very frozen Whitefish Lake in my Wonder Woman onesie and to checking “do a Polar Plunge” off my bucket list.

I said YES to seeing Ryan Adams with Dianna, to taking back music that I loved from my married days, and to rejoicing in being able to listen to it all again.

I said YES to more picnic-and-park dates with my daughter and to less worry about keeping a clean house.

I said YES to learning how to grill.

I said YES to opening my front porch up weekly for social time (aka porch sittin’) and to letting go of the fear that I’m an inadequate party host.

I said YES to dating again.

I said YES to relying on my former in-laws as co-parents and to rejoicing in how lucky my daughter and I are to have them in both of our lives.

I said YES to throwing a ridiculous Mac-and-Cheese Bake Off party for my birthday, complete with my face on the birthday cake.

I said YES to Cuba with five dear friends and to fulfilling 19-year-old me’s dream of traveling there.

I said YES to as many concerts as my budget would allow.

I said YES to packing my calendar full when my daughter is with her dad, to taking care of myself in that empty space, and to celebrating with both of them the memories they make during that time together.

I said YES to asking questions about my faith and to prodding who and what I worship every day.

I said YES to more improv, to stretching out of my comfort zone, and to performing with the funniest people I’ve ever met.

I said YES to Dianna when she pitched the idea for this blog.

I said YES to building and cultivating a life in which I could recognize myself in every little part.

And 2018?

2018 could be the Year of Growth. The Year of Peace. The Year of Creativity.

Who knows?

Comments

  1. ACHDecember 19, 2017 at 12:07 PM

    Yes, yes and yes. All the yesses. Happy for you and happy for me that I know you.

    ReplyDelete

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