2011 in review.

it's hard to believe that 2011 has come and gone. i've got one more year under my belt and had 365 days last year to be thankful to wake up for.  new years has always been one of my favorite days of the year. the let down of new years eve (cause let's be honest, it's never that fun) is always followed by the refreshing realization the next morning that we have something new to cling to. a new year is hopeful. a new year is cleansing. a new year is inspiring and full of the unknown. it's truly amazing how the roll over from 11:59pm to 12:00am can change your mindset & your heart. i love it.

i remember thinking last year that no year could be as full of change as 2010 was. graduating college & moving to a new city seemed like it was as dynamic as life could get. even one year later, it's funny to see how wrong i was.

this year my sweet step dad checked in the hospital because he thought he was having a heart attack and two days later was laying in neuro icu completely paralyzed. he went from running marathons and kicking my ass on black diamonds in colorado to not being able to hold his tooth brush. it's truly heartbreaking and has been the hardest thing my family has ever had to go through. and in that same breath, so much has changed since the first time i got to come home to see him. he's walking in his walker somedays. he's playing wheelchair rugby. he is driving some (something i'm not happy about). he can take care of himself and doesn't need as much help. he's happy and dedicated and inspiring. it's been almost 10 months since he called my mom to take him to the hospital and his journey is a reminder to me of how much can happen in 1 year.

this year i moved home to charlotte. when i got home to see brian, i knew i couldn't go back to atlanta. i realized i was living in atlanta and working a job i hated to try and prove something to myself. so i decided i had proved it and decided to move home to everyone who loves me. if you had told me this time last year i'd be living in dilworth with my best friend and down the street from my sisters, i would have told you that you were crazy.

and then there are the other things. the things that i don't think have changed at all. the things that frustrate me and make me wonder how another 365 days have passed and these "things" are still relevant. it's discouraging and the stagnation is weighing on me this year more than ever. but i'm thankful for grace and for the hope of something better. and i'll keep clinging to grace & hope until things are different and my head is clear and my heart is free.

so here's to 2012. to finding out just how much more can change in 1 year. i can only hope that in 2013, i'll be saying the same thing i'm currently saying about 2011. cheers.