December 31, 2012
Happy NYE everybody! I can’t believe it’s already been a year since I started this blog. 2012 had its ups and downs, but luckily, I can say that when I look back I most definitely notice more ups.
So tonight, I’m celebrating the commencement of a new year with my family; something I haven’t done in a few years. I’m really happy to be doing this again. As you can tell from my picture, we have this tradition of making hats and competing to see who has the best hat. Even though I’m rusty, I came away with the win. WOOHOO!!!
We also played a whole lot of games as we waited for the ball to come down, ate some great snacks and made lots of noise. It’s great to be back at home for this time!
So, here I am, wrapping up the year? What is one to say? I guess I could talk about the major lessons I’ve learned this year.
Lesson 1: When times are bad, don’t dwell on it; move on because it gets better
Well, to start, I think the major theme of 2012 has been to keep smiling and moving on through the tough times because they aren’t the end of the world and the problems won’t last forever. For instance, when I broke my ankle in April, (the worst timing ever because it was directly before Nationals) I was so upset because that injury took away the one thing I was looking most forward to in my life: competing in Nationals. Well, turns out I learned a good lesson. I still got to compete even though that wasn’t a good choice seeing as my ankle was broken, but I still got to pull out some really bad routines. I also learned that it didn’t have to be about the destination (Nationals) this time, it was all about the journey. I had the absolute TIME OF MY LIFE in Utah and I still miss it to this day. If I were competing, I don’t think I would have enjoyed it as much because I would have been focused on the competition instead of having fun. Although I would have rather been competing and helping the team, it still showed me that even in times that are supposed to be bad, there is always fun.
Lesson 2: No matter how bad your day is, there is always something to be thankful for
This year, I tried to really focus on being happy. Of course, some days REALLY SUCK. I hope it showed in my blog that I aimed to focus a lot more on the little things that make life good. In reality, you’re not going to get a huge, great surprise every day, so it’s really important enjoy the minute details of life. Being thankful for the little things this year has made me noticeably happier and I hope I shared at least a little bit of that happiness through this blog.
Lesson 3: Friends are great so spend as much time as you can with them.
In 2012, I literally laughed SO MUCH. I’d like to give credit to Waggz, Katie Ruefer, SJ, Laurissa, and Abbey for that. I lived with them for most of 2012 and I have such wonderful memories with them. Even though we don’t all live together anymore, I laugh my heart out when I go visit them. They taught me to never take my friends for granted. I mean, sometimes I get the world’s best texts from SJ that say, “thinking of you! Hope you have a great day!” THEN I MELT TO THE GROUND!! I’ll also get random texts from Katie and she’ll tell me dreams she’s had or hilarious experiences that wouldn’t happen to anyone but her. Waggz and I get lunch every week with Drea and it’s pure happiness. Laurissa will forever slay me with her “adult-like” facebook statuses and just everything about her. PARTY FOUL!!!!! I don’t know if she’s noticed, but I’ve made it a life goal of mine to “like” every action she takes on facebook. I still live with Abbey and that one keeps me laughing every day so I’m thankful for that. FRIENDS OLD AND NEW I REALLY DO LOVE YOU ALL. Thanks for making me feel better than ever!!!
Lesson 4: Don’t lose sight of who you are.
Sometimes, it’s really easy to lose sight of who you are. This past year, I found myself acting in ways that I didn’t recognize. I was like, “excuse me, Mar, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?” I did not like that feeling at all. Yes, people change and grow and I felt like I was unable to do that. I felt like I was stuck in the past and couldn’t be who I wanted to be. I felt like I was being held back. Sometimes, you have to forget about what people think and expect from you, let go of your past and accept the person you are growing into. I don’t know why I was so afraid of changing. I think it was because that would mean the past was in the past and that made me nervous. Anyway, I sucked it up and let go of things that held me back and I’m so glad I did. It took a large load off my chest and now I can live my life without feeling like I’m living though somebody else. I hope in 2013 I can keep changing for the better because, in reality, life is all about change.
Lesson 5: I realized how great my family is and how much I love every, single, family member (dogs included).
Every family has their weird issues, but through the problems, I can honestly say that I love my people so much. I have such great fun with them that I can’t even describe. We all understand each other and our senses of humor match really well. WHAT IN THE WORLD WOULD I DO WITHOUT THESE PEOPLE?!?!?!?!
So there are 5 lessons I learned in 2012. I really like where I am in my life right now. I live with wonderful people at JMU, I am dating the dood who surpasses the man of my dreams, my family and friends are all in good health, and laughs are always in abundance!! Thanks 2012!! You were a good one!