2021….Reflections and Hope

As I reflect on 2021, there were definitely periods of pain and difficulty. Struggles in my family with mental illness. COVID. Near death. Death. Sometimes if I think about it too long it brings tears to my eyes. At times it feels surreal. And at other times it feels like something lurking right around the corner.

And then I remember how strong we all were. Because here we are getting ready to walk into 2022. Closer as a family than we have ever been. People I love got better or are getting better. We got to be together for several holidays this year. Sometimes we were able to pretend there wasn’t a pandemic, hug, and celebrate. And that makes me so so grateful.

Now I am ready to enter a year of possibility. Because anything less would be settling. And I am not ready to settle.

Tomorrow, John and I take off on our adventure. We are running from the overnight lows of 14 to the southwest. Chasing the sun and the warmth. Our plan is to hit as many national parks as we can between now and late January….Arkansas, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. We will leave our tiny house on wheels in Arizona, and then go back to meet in for another multi week adventure in February across California, Utah, Oregon. We will keep following the warmth and sun and see where it leads us. Do the same thing in March, April and May. Rinse and repeat.

I am excited and nervous at the same time. Excited for adventure. Weather in Northwest Ohio in January, February and March is terrible. Cold. Overcast. Looking forward to new places, hiking, and catching up with my dear friends in the southwest. Nervous for homesickness and worry about health and running a business from the road. I spend a ton of time with my kids, and am going to miss them terribly. And we know we need to get John back home for some follow up appointments related to his heart and his rotator cuff.

But for now, I won’t dwell on the worry. In fact, that is my New Years Resolution. To stop worrying so much about things I can’t control. A favorite yoga philosophy book “Yamas and Niyamas” taught me, “Worry says I don’t trust you to do your life right. Worry comes from a place of arrogance that I know better what should be happening in your life. Worry says I don’t trust your journey, or your answers, or your timing. Worry is fear that hasn’t grown up yet; it is a misuse of our imagination. We both devalue and insult others when we worry about them.” And so I won’t.

So here’s to 2022….new adventures, new memories, new beginnings, laughter, love, and hope. Peace. Compassion. Gratitude.

If you live in the Southwest….(you know who you are)….The Howard’s are coming to see you!

Much love, and look forward to sharing our journey!