For a million reasons, I neglected this blog in 2015, but I hope to revive it in 2016. I also hope to write more, to simplify, give/donate more things (I got rid of a LOT of things this year --it is truly life-changing), use my new Fitbit to motivate more movement and less sitting, spend less time on gadgets and more time with live experiences, to cook more, to stick with my capsule wardrobe, which I've really loved and am continuing to improve upon. I'll also continue my annual tradition of writing out ten resolutions with the goal of accomplishing the ones that make the most sense. It eases the pressure and helps me focus on what I want the next year to look like.
2015 was a doozie of a year. I left a job I loved to take on a new adventure of building a customer success team at a small start-up. It's been quite an adventure, and nothing at all like I thought it would be, which is all part of professional growth. I've been out of my comfort zone more than I could ever have imagined, including driving a 15 passenger van filled with international customers with extremely specific dietary needs and many, many questions. I co-authored a 50 page training manual in a matter of 48 hours due to unforeseen circumstances that were terribly stressful but I survived in one piece. With each challenge, it's been an opportunity to grow, and that's never a bad thing.
This year, I made some wonderful new friends and walked away from some toxic situations. I worked on being more direct (I still have work to do there, but every time I get out of my comfort zone and have a direct conversation, it has the most positive results).
I had to give up walking to work, so I bought a little golf cart. Okay, it's not a golf cart, but a small used convertible that I absolutely love. If you have to drive, it might as well be a fun time. I pump up my favorite songs and sing at the top of my lungs with the wind in my hair. I'm a firm believer that everyone should have a convertible at some point in their life!
In September, my husband's mother Eileen passed away. She was an incredible woman, the epitome of grace and class, feisty and whip-smart, and never afraid to tell it like it was. We miss her terribly but are so thankful for the time Tim and his siblings had to spend with their mother in her last days, and we're eternally grateful for the legacy she left to her grandchildren.
I lost two friends in two separate tragedies this year. Both men were far too young to leave us, and were such incredible influences to so many. I'm still shocked, saddened, and mainly angry that they're gone. It seems like a cliche to tell you to hug those you hold dearest, but you just really never know, so go ahead and hug away.
My kids are growing up so quickly that suddenly, I'm the shrimp of the group. I was as tall as I am now in 7th grade, and I always felt like a giant around my cute, petite girlfriends. Now that my 12 year-old daughter has passed me up, I'm wishing I'd grown a few more inches back when it was feasible, but since I'm freaked out by human growth hormones, I guess I'll have to live with what I have. I'm so thankful to have healthy, happy kids.
New Year's is my favorite holiday. Tonight, we'll do a repeat of our annual tradition of making fondue and vision boards. Here's a piece I did for the Huffington Post in 2014 about how we ring in the new year. This year, our usual group is expanding with the addition of some new significant others and beautiful baby Serena, my dear friend Candace's new baby. We will cherish these new memories.
How do you spend your New Year's Eve?
