Embracing Life's Highs and lows

With January behind us, I still cannot believe we are in a new year. It's now February, and I still have to think before I date anything, as writing 2023 is still so ingrained in my mind. If I am honest I am still riding the rollercoaster that I seemed to be involuntarily riding since 2020. Last year had its low moments full of anxiety and uncertainty, and high moments that were thrilling and refreshing for my soul.

If you were to ask me if I met my 2023 goals, I would probably tell you that I didn't have any. If I did think of any goals I wanted to achieve, they were quickly erased from my mind within the first few weeks of January 2023, as I quickly realized it would be another year of just trying to make it through. In summer 2022 a lot changed for me and my family and its effects are still being felt at this very moment that I write this post. I am now incredibly aware of how quickly life can change, and just how important it is to truly cherish every moment we have with our loved ones. This may be odd to say, but I feel more like an adult now than ever before. I think intense fear and trauma can do that to you, it opens your eyes to the harsh realities of life. My saving grace is that God is good, and having a great community of friends and family softens the harshness that life can throw at us.

On the other side of 2023 was all the good that was laced throughout the year. I did my first solo trip ever in 2023 and it was to Waikiki Beach. I splurged on a week's stay at The Royal Hawaiian and i truly enjoyed every moment of my trip. It honestly felt incredibly healing for my soul, I guess staying beachfront and watching beautiful sunsets and sunrises can do that. I also made frequent trips to SoCal to see my sister, saw my best friend and finally met her baby, and cherished another yearly trip to Las Vegas with my other bestie.

Although the hard moments were hard, the good moments were so very uplifting, and needed in those moments. I am learning with each passing year to be more aware of the ebbs and flow of life, and that the good moments and hard moments are important for building my faith, but also building my resiliency. As 2024 marches on, and I am yet again faced with unexpected circumstances, I am learning to embrace every part of my life. God is truly carrying me through it all, and I know he has some good things planned for me.