Wow. It seems like yesterday that I was celebrating Christmas at home with family for the first time in years. Now we've been home almost 3 years. It just blows my mind.
This year was met with sadness, loss, happiness, and love. Each emotion was bittersweet in its own way. The beginning of the year started out rough. Saying good bye to one of my dearest friends was heartbreaking. I still remember saying good bye that cold, snowy morning and wishing it was all just a dream. But from there I moved on. I grew, I learned, I slowly became whole again.
April brought new challenges. I was finally divorced, something years in the making. Even though it was never my dream to be 25 and divorced, life has an unexplained way of working out just the way it is supposed to.
The summer was spent relaxing by the pool, hanging out with my daughter and working. Just the way it should have been. In those months I felt renewed and finally happy again. Little and I made some of the best memories just sitting there smiling and drawing outside with chalk. I'll never forget the night we were snuggled up on the couch watching cartoons and I told her it was time for bed. She promptly replied, "No!" and turned her face from me. I assumed she would turn back around in a minute or two to see if I was looking at her. About a minute later I felt a huge twitch and glance over to her sound asleep. Sometimes we just need cuddles I guess!
This fall was a huge game changer. I transferred stores and became a full time employee. I worked hard for years to get that position and I wasn't going to let anyone tell me I couldn't do it. It turns out, that decision was one of the best decisions I ever made. I got to start out new and fresh. I didn't have people asking me questions about my personal life. It was like I finally let go of the old stuff I was holding onto. Though I miss some of the people at my old store dearly, I know that this was the better choice for me.
At the end of October we visited my mom in Georgia. For once I didn't have to plan Little's Halloween costume around a heavy coat. It was a nice relaxing trip, time to spend with family and just get away from the hustle and bustle that was my life.
The holiday season came and went so fast, its all a blur anymore. Spending Thanksgiving here and Christmas there, I wouldn't have had it any other way. And of course ringing in the New Year, sick sitting on my couch with the guy who makes me smile most definitely was the icing on the cake. And words cannot honestly describe how thankful I am for him. A good chunk of the time, we're decently in sync. We might get into the occasional argument or tiff but we still end up smiling. He melts my heart in a way that I've missed for a long time.
So here's to 2014. May it be just as phenomenal as 2013 was!
