Put a fork in it- 2021 is done!! Of course the year wasn’t all sunshine and roses, but it was way better than the suck-ass year of 2020. My positive attitude this year allowed me to make great strides in becoming a better version of myself.
I began a new chapter, actually more of a book, in which I am the independent, self-confident heroine.
This past year has been one of my best years because I am now firmly in the stage of “I don’t give a fuck”. Why should I care how people feel or talk about what I do? As long as I am not hurting anyone, I do what I want when I want. Doing what made me happy made all the difference in my life in 2021, and I don’t see that changing in 2022.
I gained a few new titles in 2021, but my two favorites are mother-in-law and grandma-to-be.
My daughter Lily’s wedding day in June could not have been more perfect. She married her now-husband Tim under blue skies and overlooking the sparkling waters of Lake Michigan. They smiled more that day than I ever remember the two of them smiling. Lily was stunning, and I have never seen a happier groom. Three months after their wedding they moved into their first house together, and three months after that they told me I am going to be a grandma. I am blessed more than you know.
I was reminded how much I love to laugh and have fun.
Being single and an empty-nester, I was able to go out with friends and vacation at will- my schedule was the only schedule I had to worry about. This led to many nights spent with friends, laughing over drinks (sometimes too many drinks…) and two vacations with my sisters. At fifty-two years old I feel young with a lifetime full of great adventure ahead of me.
I learned not to dwell on things that don’t go the way I want.
Of course not everything in 2021 went the way I wanted. I still argued with my children at times, and they argued with each other. When that happened, I thought about it for a few minutes and then moved on. There were times when people didn’t treat me the way I’d hoped. I don’t have time for people that don’t value me, so I moved on. Accepting temporary dismay just makes happiness that much sweeter.
See ya, 2021. It’s been real.
