I love that everyone is posting their top nine photos. It makes me smile to look back on what was a wonderful year for so many. And while I would love to do the same, I feel like I’d be missing out on an opportunity to point out nine extraordinary things that happened this year.
This is extraordinary in it’s own way, and I have to point it out first before anything else so my list will make sense.
I had surgery last January and two weeks later I had emergency surgery when an artery ruptured. It was the most terrifying thing I’ve ever experienced. I was hemorrhaging internally AND externally, my blood pressure was through the roof then it tanked, and I lost just over a liter of blood. I’m grateful for a skilled surgeon that kept me alive and friends and family that pulled me through a very hard several months as I continued to hit every. single. possible. complication.
It’s been almost a year, and I’m back to healthy. Something I will NEVER take for granted again but, in the spirit of the New Year, here are the 9 things I’m grateful for this past year.
9. Nine amazing friends from my gym that I call my tribe. They brought me meals, sat with me when I couldn’t be alone and husband had to go to work, made me laugh, offered to wash my hair when I couldn’t, talked me off ledges, and so much more.
8. Eight amazing friends in my neighborhood that I call my village. They, too, brought me meals, took care of my kids when I couldn’t, kept me laughing, dropped by, also talked me off ledges, and so much more.
7. Friends that don’t live near here but brought flowers, meals, and sent Uber eats cards.
8. Friendships that got closer over donuts, bananas, drawings, a whole lot of silly photos, green tea matcha lattes with coconut milk, shared projects, and sharing life.
7. Lifetime friendships that, in some cases, took a bit of a back seat because it was a tough year, but always picked up exactly where we left off each time we too infrequently got to visit.
6. New friends, and new adventures we have planned for 2020. I am working on some really wonderful things right now and I can’t wait to share them with you!
5. The ability to pursue some dreams of mine.
4. More fabric than I’ll ever need.
3. My health. Something I will NEVER take for granted ever again.
2. My children. Who were troopers all year and showed me that they can do more than they let on…and sometimes even offered!
1. My husband. My rock. Who stood by my side, nursed me, cared for me, and never stopped loving me. It was a tough year. He could have, at any point, decided not to do any of those things, but he didn’t, and I’m grateful every day for him. This year certainly made me love him more.
This year was hard. I learned a lot. I grew a lot. I am the luckiest girl in the world to not only have so many wonderful friends in my life, but to have an incredible family. I have a beautiful life, and I’m thankful for it every day. Love to all my friends and family. I hope 2020 brings you everything you want. With love, pm