We love opportunities to take time out and briefly reflect on where we’ve been and the lessons we’ve learned along the way, followed by dreaming of what’s in store for a bit. Whether it’s our anniversary, birthdays, or New Year’s Eve, we are likely to have a conversation at some point throughout the day that begins with, “What was your favorite part of the past year?” and ends with “Where do you hope to be one year from now?”
We recognize that the feeling of a new year is mostly symbolic, but I am drawn to things like fresh notebooks and clean calendars. Plus, it’s a good excuse to reminisce together which can make for a really great date. It’s something we genuinely look forward to and is made even better paired with a cozy restaurant and a glass of wine.
This holiday season has been seemingly more hectic than most, so when we finally started talking about our plans to ring in the New Year (a couple of days ago that is) we both agreed that what we are really excited for is the excuse to get a little fancied up and spend some quality time alone together.
I can’t tell you how much I’m looking forward to wrapping up the year in conversation with the person who has walked by my side through both the good and not-so-good moments of 2014. It has been a different kind of year for us. We’ve come through times filled with far more trials or significant, life-changing events; yet in some ways, this has been one of the most challenging. It’s tough to explain why that is exactly. With the exception to the obvious changes to and re-branding of our business last spring, for the most part when people ask what’s new, our response has been “not much.”
Steady and stable is usually a good thing. And believe me, we are incredibly thankful for the constants in our life! Yet we get anxious to see the complete picture, and in many ways, have spent the year feeling behind where we expected to be. Sometimes it can feel as though we are sitting idle, when in reality there is movement happening beyond measure. Over conversation at dinner the other night, I compared it to thinking we were suppose to be heading down a new path, only to realize that we were just changing out the tires and having a little maintenance done to prepare us for the adventures that lie ahead. We felt like we were simply forgoing the transitions we had anticipated, yet as it turned out, we spent months facing inner-transformations instead.
As we look forward to the upcoming year, we recognize that many of the lessons are far from complete and are excited for the possibilities of what’s in store. Whatever may be, we know that this year has been anything but wasted and as a result, we are better equipped to handle whatever lies ahead. I guess we should never underestimate the importance of a pit-stop year.
I was reminded of what a great year it truly was today as I was going through several phone snapshots for our annual scrapbook collage. We can always find blessings to be thankful for!
Here’s to the uncertainty of what the future will bring, and making the most of it day by day.
Cheers!
-m
