Happy New Year to you and yours. I hope your holidays were filled with happiness and surrounded by the ones you love the most.
The holidays are always such an emotional roller coaster, aren’t they? One minute you’re jolly, wrapping presents that you’ve carefully planned and the next, you’re feeling the pressure of not finding a bag of cranberries to make the perfect poinsettia champagne cocktail. We do it to ourselves, don’t we? At least I know I do (my husband reminds me of this often). But, you know what? I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Seriously. I live for this season every year. And somehow it has already come to a close. I’m just not ready to turn the page into 2023.
I usually look forward to New Year. It’s a fresh start; new beginning; clean slate. But this year, I find myself holding on to 2022. It was really bothering me, so I spent quite a bit of time pondering why. I think I was finally able to pinpoint my struggle.
We were beyond blessed in 2022. Everything we had been working towards and wishing for came to fruition. We both got new vehicles. We got a camper. We bought a house (which came with the best neighbors ever). And beyond all of those materialistic things, we had many great experiences too. We traveled to Florida, camped in Mackinaw, and went to Great Wolf Lodge in Ohio. We went to concerts and sporting events. We took walks and had picnics. We all suffered from Covid early in the year, but overall stayed healthy. We received great news in Summer’s cleft journey and shouldn’t have any major next steps for a few years. Summer felt anxious about starting at a new school, but she loves it and has made so many new friends. We were busy, but also enjoyed the quiet moments as a family.
My word for 2022 was “healthier.” Jordan and I ended the year much healthier than we began it and definitely plan to continue those habits. We were more mindful about our plans, our circle, our time in general. And it paid off. Honestly, 2022 couldn’t have been any better. Which is why I’m not eager for 2023.
I keep thinking about how impossible it will be to top last year. Something surely has to go wrong this year because last year was so great. Almost as though our luck has run out.
A dear friend of mine helped put it in perspective for me though. She reassured me that life isn’t about keeping score. A bad thing doesn’t happen because too many good things did. Who says it has to be bad, just cuz it was so good? The blessings can and still will be in abundance, we maybe just don’t know what to expect or how we will receive them yet. I know she’s right and it certainly helped me shift my mindset.
With all that being said, I have decided on my word for 2023. Settle. Not in the I-give-up kinda sense. But more like, settle in. Being comfortable. Soaking in the moments of the soon-to-be memory. I like having a word instead of a resolution because it’s like an intention filter as you navigate the year. It helps bring you back to your focus, and ultimately helps you achieve your goals and dreams in the 12 months ahead. And with the word “settle,” I can apply this to our new house (making it a home and uniquely ours this year), using our camper more (“settling” into slowing down and enjoying the outdoors), while also settling into healthier routines and additional time with our friends and family. I can’t wait to see where this word takes me this year.
Even though I’m cautiously entering 2023, I can’t wait for the experiences and memories that are in store. Hello, 2023…whether I’m ready or not.
The Rupkey Roost 