New Year Reflections

 2022 was a darn fine year. I mean, yes, there was war and economic recession and a lot of layoffs. Plus, COVID. So, perhaps I should rephrase: 2022 was a darn fine year for learning and growth. 

As a family, we embarked on a bunch of new adventures - we rafted the Yampa River, visited Hawaii for the first time, Ben and I started new university programs (Ben's undergrad, Jamie's MA in Clinical Mental Health), Steve and I went to Fairbanks and saw the northern lights, we celebrated Sasha's quinceañera in Colima. We got a new dog. I biked a respectable 1,968 miles. Sam got a new job and a motorcycle, Ben went to France to the Unicycle Olympics, we bought a Mini Cooper, and Sam, Ben, and I went to Mini Cooper stunt driving school in California. The half of the family that didn't get COVID in finally 2020 got it. We skied in California, biked in St. George, camped in Nevada, rock climbed in Colorado and St. George and California, saw a show in New York City, and did a ton of mountain biking all over Utah (I have a stunning new shin scar to prove it). 

So, yeah, a good year. Lots of adventures. Lots of learning.

I love to set a focus or intention for the new year. It's not a resolution, and there's nothing magical about it, but it's healthy to step back and consider where one wants to focus in this bright new year. 

I haven't settled on a single word, but my focus is on going slow. Doing one thing at a time. Being open. Finding serenity. 

For those of you laughing at this intention, I'll remind you that this isn't about staying still. I am not good at staying still. But it's about cultivating more space even in the doing. Yes, maybe doing less, or maybe just doing less frantically. Between school, work, family, and hobbies, I have a lot going on. It's true. And all of that makes it all the more important to focus on going slow and doing with serenity. 

Here's my start-of-2023 memory verse:

Trust God from the bottom of your heart;
    don’t try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;
    he’s the one who will keep you on track. 

Proverbs 3:5-6

I love this focus. God's not saying, "don't plan," and he's not saying, "let go and let God." He's saying, "You don't have to figure everything out, and you don't have to plan for every contingency. That pressure isn't on you. Listen and watch and trust. I got you." And that is an excellent way to enter a new year.