2013: A Love Letter and New Year's Resolutions

Dear 2013, Last year as 2012 came to a close, I prayed that you, 2013, would have mercy on me.  I was afraid to hope and dream, but I did anyway.

This year was different.  This year was better.  This year, my world changed-  for the better.

2013, thank you.  Each day in your calendar was a blessing.  You have quieted my anxieties and let my hopes and dreams run wild.  I would have never imagined that I could feel this way again.

You were the year of the rainbow.

Thank you for sprinkling in so many days of sunshine, yellow flowers, and butterflies.  Thank you for all the quiet moments when I was truly present and the most alive.  Thank you for the noisy ones too-  loud cries and echoing laughter- noises I so longed for.

Last year, I couldn't turn the page fast enough on 2012.  This year, I'm wishing for more hours in each day just to stretch out this magical time.

2013- I will miss you.

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I have some new resolutions for 2014.  Last year, we started the Kindness for Callie project as a way to honor Callie and spread random acts of kindness in her memory.  I was moved to tears by the response to K4C.  I have to admit though, that a little 7lb, 3oz bundle of joy kind of affected my productivity and somehow, I wasn't quite as prolific with my kindness in the second half of the year.

In 2014, my first resolution is that I'd like to do at least one random act of kindness a month.  To help myself stick with it, I've created a monthly theme (thanks to Lindsay V. for that idea!).  I would like to extend an invitation to all of you to join me in our Kindness for Callie project this year.  Doing one act of kindness a month is totally manageable and will be so good for your soul!  As before, if you email me your act of kindness I will add it to the log.  Although I will post the monthly theme at the beginning of each month, I thought I'd give you a preview of what is to come in 2014:

My second resolution is to actually complete a personal photography project.  I'm hoping to continue to grow with photography because it is something I really love doing.  If you notice me slacking, could you please kindly kick me in the buns and tell me to get crackin'?!?

When I was a kid, I never thought of myself as creative.  I think I mistook being 'original' for being 'creative'.  I'll be the first one to tell you that I'm not always the most original or inventive, but after looking back on the past two years, I realized I actually am really creative.  I love photography, music, writing...even sewing!  This leads me to my third resolution… to start seeing myself as an artist, a writer, a photographer.  I am all of those things, even if I'm not the best.  I've decided to allow myself to let go of that perfectionist-y attitude so that I can experience the joy of doing things I love without hearing any negative self-talk about it.  I'm pursuing my passions this year and, in 2014, my goal is to carve out time each week for me to delve into these things without guilt.

What are your resolutions this year?

Happy New Year and best wishes for a kind 2014!