Well folks, if you follow this blog you already know that this has been a year of ups(Elsa was born) and downs(loss of family members), perhaps more downs than ups really but it's impossible to have everything always going great without a few stumbles along the way! Life is like the economy they are both cyclical and the good always comes with the bad, it's the balance nature ensures we have. What I've learned in life is that you have to roll with the punches, not get crazy when things get stressful and live right now and not dwell in the past or the "what if's" of tomorrow.
I can be pretty self critical but I try really hard to shake things off, like every year it seems like a "close" friend of mine no longer has a place in my line up and I question myself as to what I did. But I have realized that these people are from different chapters of my life(single days, YSC era, Nordstrom, Bobbi, etc) and when that one thing that kept us together is removed we really have nothing in common to talk about. Then there are the past friends that I no longer talk too because we are so fundamentally different. It might seem on paper that we should get along but distance, core values, the way of living can be so different that you simply don't mesh and I don't allow that to make me feel bad. It is OK to change and grow from people.
What I love about life is knowing that it always changes and that I can expect to leave some people behind while I meet and befriend new people. Elsa and I start a music class every Thursday morning in January. I'm going with my old high school friend and her daughter that I have reconnected with over the last year and a half. Then on Friday mornings I have a reoccurring play date with the moms group in this area for kids born right around Elsa's birth date. I have made a really good new friend that I met in the new Moms group from Day One, and I've been growing my friendship with a few other people that I couldn't live without (Amy & Amanda)! I used to have a ton of friends from the Scandinavian Club but as we got married stayed in more, and had a baby we just don't want to drive all over. I also realized that my husband is a little bit anti social and a little too comfortable just playing video games or watching baseball/football with my brother! So my big goal has been to meet other Stay At Home Moms in my neighborhood, which takes time but it will come.
So, 2013 it is going to be a good year, I can feel it! We most likely will not be traveling to Sweden or anywhere for that matter :(. Reality is we need to pay off our trip from this last fall and save for a rainy day. HOWEVER, I have a feeling though maybe next holiday we might, if we stay on track financially we might be able to go to Sweden for next Christmas, which is also a good friend of our's 40th birthday. We also happened to set this Swedish guy up with our female friend who lives abroad . And they are currently totally enamored and I have a feeling she will be permanently moving to Stockholm. Yes, my matchmaking skills rock! Anyhow, 2013 will be full of surprises I am sure!! we are happy in our little house and so very grateful for our little family, dog and cat! So we wish you the happiest of New Years and a fantastic 2013!
Change is the only constant in life. Isn't that just the truth. It's hard to believe I've been following your blog and getting to know you for more then a year now. It's been a neat journey to watch Elsa grow right alongside Nathan and hear about the going ons of someone on the other side of the country that you feel a kinship with.
ReplyDeleteJust an aside though, whenever I think about how certain people or relationships have changed or distanced, it used to make me a little wistful and sad, but the truth is there are only so many hours in a day and busy is not fulfilled, content, and happy. Just like being practical and responsible with finances we have to do the same with our time the older we get.
Still sucks when there is a lot of history there though