As 2011 draws to a close...

“For last year's words belong to last year's language and next year's words await another voice.” 
- T.S. Eliot

I'm sitting here in my office, comfy in my big sweater, pair of jeans and warm fuzzy slippers, a piping hot cup of fresh coffee on my desktop just reflecting on all the positive and wonderful things that have happened to me and my family this year.
Just an hour before this, I was agitated and dismayed by a chain of circumstances that I allowed to take control over my emotions.
My skills and passion as a writer were challenged and criticized, my job as a work-from-home mother was critiqued and my hopes of conceiving another baby was thrown out the window yet again this month.


I'm weak. I'm human.


The one thing about me is that I'm an eternal optimist. I always like to find the good in the bad, the positive in the negative, the light at the end of winding dark tunnel.
I usually don't like to let things get to me, but as of late, a lot of things have been getting to me. Badly.

Another thing about me is as tough as rock as I can show myself to be to the outer world, I do wear my heart on my sleeve.
I over-analyze things sometimes and I can be quite the perfectionist.

My sweet little girl is now 3 and a big ball of energy. She brings me light & so much happiness. She teaches me something everyday -- to see things in a child-like & humble manner.

I was blessed to be offered so many amazing opportunities this year that brought me unexpected surprises, one after the other, including my new job offer from home as an Online Community Manager. This was a pleasant and much-needed curve ball that struck me this year.
After having been retired from the 9-5 hustle & the demands of being an Entrepreneur & small business owner and making the strategic choice to stay home and raise my daughter in 2008, even the thought of returning to work part-time bothered me. I was loving my job as a stay-at-home mom. But, at the same time, we were in need of financial support.
My husband is a hard-worker and I couldn't be more proud of where he's at at this stage in his life, career-wise, but I was growing weary of seeing him do it all alone.
There were some really tough months for us as a young, growing family in our first home.
He was doing it all on his own. Supporting not just himself, but 2 others.

On top of this, we were trying for another child this year and I was in and out of the fertility clinic, thousands of dollars already out of our account in hopes of fulfilling our dreams to give our daughter a sibling.
She asks us every single day.
Typing this is very hard for me and I'm really fighting back tears. God, it's been so tough.

But in the midst of all the trials & tribulations, this year has also brought us a tremendous amount of happiness. Things that have overshadowed all the problems. God has listened to our prayers and has been blessing us abundantly with many little surprises that I couldn't be more grateful for.

Usually every year around this time, I reflect and write a list of resolutions for the New Year. Some I stick to and achieve, some I don't.
This year, I think I will only have one resolution: To be more grateful and to really appreciate all the little things.
As cliché of a resolution it may be, for me, it's so much more.

I challenge you to take 5 minutes or more in your schedule to write down all the things you are grateful for this year before you write down what goals you would like to attain for 2012.

I hope this year has been good to you...
All the best to you in the New Year!