Have you ever had life just not work according to plan? That was 2017 for me. I thought we would be moving closer to my day job, selling the farm, I would have my blog be earning money, have written a book, and have my diabetes totally in hand. My word for 2017 was “Transformation “.
Well, there was some transformation, but not like I had thought.
- Instead of selling and moving, my son moved home and we revamped the farm.
- My husband retired.
- I am still commuting over an hour to work each way.
- I spent a lot of time figuring things out with the lawyer for the farm and trust. (Our old wills were 14 years old and didn’t include our 11-year-old at all, so it was past due)!
- I had
- two kids graduate college,
- one graduate home school,
- one get married, and
- we welcomed a new grandson to the family.
In the midst of all this, I made some choices that were not good for me. I’ve dealt with a return of my depression, I chose to eat in a way that was really harmful for my diabetes, and avoided exercise. So I transformed my health into an even worse version of myself.
Choose Life
So, my new word for 2018 is Life. I want to pursue Jesus. And make choices that will honor the life He gives. I am still working out what that will mean practically, but I think it will mean more sleep, less self-imposed pressure, more exercise, and more time connecting to people.
I need to get my health (diabetes, depression, and obesity) in better shape. It is important to me to be able to participate in activities with my family without slowing everybody down, or them having to help me so much.
I want to be free to live life with joy, not plagued by guilt for all the things that I don’t get done. I want to plan and have my to-do lists and goals, but not be a slave to them.
Life should be lived in community. For too long, I have struggled with living one place and working another, not really feeling a part of either community. I want to find ways to participate in community, both in our town, and out church. Part of this living on the outside is my depression, but I am tired of it! I want to embrace all that life has to offer and make new friends. I haven’t figured out how I will do this yet. But I am keeping my eyes open to possibilities.
Speaking of connecting to people, my husband and I are off on our first cruise to celebrate our 35th anniversary!
I am hoping that this will be a time for us to reconnect without the distractions of our daily life, the farm, and the kids. We have never been to the Caribbean, and we have stops planned for Grand Cayman, Belize, and Mexico. Here’s to soaking up some sunshine!
Happy new year! Do you have a word for the year?