…Hello, 2023 (Part 2 of 2)
Hello, 2023.
Hello to a new language and a new culture and a new understanding of the world for my kids.
Hello to nights that end after midnight. Honestly, down here in Colombia, hello to nights that really get started after midnight.
Hello 44. It’s going to be a big birthday this year – 5 years since I started the blog – and I want to make sure to celebrate to the max.
Hello to knowing that joy exists, even in those times when I can’t see it.
Hello to good coffee from the old lady on the corner, to bunelos after Sunday morning runs and to the sound of the city at night.
Hello not-knowing-ness. There was so much we didn’t know when we came to Colombia. And there’s so much we don’t know about our return to the United States next summer. But all I can do is sit with the uncertainty, and know that it’s okay.
Hello to being a high school parent. My little girl has really grown up.
Hello to telling more parts of my past on this blog. There has been loss in my life…but there has been joy, too.
Hello to pushing myself less and appreciating myself more.
Hello to dealing with all the logistics of life without anxiety. Once, it felt impossible to go to to the bank alone. Now, it’s just another day.
Hello to always finding joy with Grandpa Tom, whether he’s near or far.
Hello to keeping Shawn’s memory alive, even when the kids don’t remember all the details. The love is still there.
Hello to seeing the deep love between my husband and our children.
Hello Espanol! I’m getting there. Here’s to learning more this year, and to laughing when my children make fun of my accent.
Hello to doing hard things. I’m still scared of them, but I know I can do them.
Hello to our legal family – the Brimley-Hale family – one that’s been a family for quite a while but finally can put that on the form at the airport.
Hello to remembering what really matters. It’s not the daily hassles – though those can be distracting. It’s the beauty at sunset.
Hello, risk. Today, tomorrow, forever. Because that’s how life has to be lived.
Hello to remembering that Shawn is happy for me, even in this life without him.
Hello to another year with Chris. I’m so damn lucky he’s mine.
Hello, 2023.
