Am I the only one who actually loves New Year’s? I love reflecting and sharing in hope for the future, even if our resolutions don’t make it too far into 2020. 2019 has been a busy, strange year. On paper, it was a great year. Matthew graduated from business school, we bought our first home, celebrated big birthdays, Ella has done great at her new school, and I love being back in Georgia.

But for me, change brings invisible obstacles. Ones you won’t find on that same piece of paper where everything looks great. Settling down in our new home was more unsettling than I anticipated. Having to continue an old life in a new place– good habits don’t always cross state lines with you. I lost pieces of myself and I’m still trying to figure out how to get them back. And with Matthew being thrown right back into work, some of this year felt more like surviving than living.

But I love New Year’s. Because you can think about all of these things and they’re all made smaller by the power of hope for the future. I’m grateful for hard experiences because they keep you from being casual about life. We had so many sunny days in 2019. I love our new home. I love the people we’ve met and the memories we’ve made. I love watching Ella and Jack, experiencing childhood all over again through their eyes. I love the sunshine of life. But when storms come to blow you away, you simply have to hold on tighter. And holding on means we have more gratitude, more investment, more strength, and above all, more hope. Through cloud and sunshine, let’s do this 2020.

Happy New Year, everybody!

xo

eb