Cheers to 2018!

I’ll be honest that I’ve been a little judge-y in the past when I heard people say they were ready for a year to end. It seemed so “glass half empty.” BUT after 2018, I totally get it because I started wondering in June if I could do another 6 months of 2018, and by September, I was just scared to see what other bombs might drop before 12/31/18.

A few of my 2018 “highlights”:

Grandmother dying
Diagnosis of a learning disability in my youngest and learning how to navigate that new world
Sudden business changes that resulted in friends losing jobs and unexpected contract negotiations over my 3rd child (aka my book manuscript)
Discrimination in the workplace as a single mother
Tough first semester of middle school for my oldest (capped off by a shingles diagnosis)

Needless to say, 2018 was hard, and I’m really hoping 2019 is different. But now that I’m at the end of 2018, I can’t help but be grateful – GLAD it’s over, but GRATEFUL - for all that I’ve learned, for being pushed beyond what I thought I could do, for the amazing people that I never would have met otherwise, for faithful friendships, and for a hearty reminder to have grace for others because you really never know what’s going on in people’s lives.