adventures and life lessons of a super-woman: Do you believe in Magic?

adventures and life lessons of a super-woman: Do you believe in Magic?: Do you ever just wake up with a smile on your face, and think that maybe someone finally sprinkled a little magic in your life? This wri...

Do you believe in Magic?

Do you ever just wake up with a smile on your face, and think that maybe someone finally sprinkled a little magic in your life?

This writing isn’t about some big adventure. This writing is an evaluation of my last 12 months, with some goal setting thrown in. It’s my typical December post.

Walking into 2018, I knew I would be making a few life changes. I knew there was a possibility I would change careers, I knew that wonderful little convertible I had would eventually die. I knew I would have grand adventures.

At midnight, I ran around in my fabulous self-made ballgown, giving hugs to friends, and strangers alike. I felt like there was magic in those moments, and I wasn’t wrong.

Within the month, I changed careers, and got a new car. The two biggest goals of 2018 were almost accomplished.

My adventures this year have been plenty, from a weekend trip to Chicago – with a side trip and tears cried as I walked into Hemingway’s birth home, a day spent in D.C. with men and women that know what “sacrifice” really means, and finally finishing off my Ohio castles list.

I’ve had mini-adventures too. I’ve watched a best friend get married, gone to concerts, and taken road trips to new restaurants. I’ve danced in new places, and made friends.

This year has been good to me.

The lessons I have learned this year have been plenty. One of those lessons being, that yes, I am all too often my own harshest critic, and sometimes that carries over to people I love. I have learned, and am learning, that their decisions and reactions are their own. We cannot live each other’s lives, but at the end of the day, I couldn’t make it through without them to fall back on, to love and to give and take advice from. They’re my biggest cheerleaders and supporters. Not a day goes by that I am not thankful to them for loving and believing in me.

This year, my novel was finally finished, editing and all. It will be published in early spring. As a writer, I thought I knew that my next novel would be about PTSD. That’s what I want to write about, the subject of my life keeps popping up though; and as it was said last night, maybe my story should be told if it would help one person fight to the next day.

The truth is, sometimes I’m astounded by the things I’ve been through, and how far I’ve come. I came back fighting from the depths of hell. I want other people to know the fight is worth it.

As everyone knows, because they’ve seen a billion and half pictures, I’ve lost 32 pounds this year. I finally have a healthy way of eating, working out every day, and feel (and look)  a lot like I used to in my 20s.

I’ve added some volunteer responsibilities to my already busy schedule, and now in addition to being a literacy tutor, I sit on the board of Project H.O.P.E., expect to hear more about that in 2019.

I have had moments of sadness this year, but I didn’t let them break me. I let myself cry real tears, instead of trying to hold in emotions.

Mostly, I’ve learned this year that it is ok to take some solitary “me” time. It’s ok to take time to refresh myself. I’m an empath, so that has been something I never did before this year, just take time to myself to not absorb other people’s emotions, and just sit in mine. That self-time- allows me to be better when I am around people, because it helps me to center and figure out what I’m feeling.

The question as I write this, is what are my goals for 2019?

As always, my number one goal is to have adventures and see something new, that I haven’t seen before.

In 2018, I started taking a few free online classes, and listening to podcasts about everything from mythology to psychology. The need to continue learning still burns, and I may at some point decide to further my education, and get my Masters. I just don’t know if 2019 is that year.

There will be book signings in 2019, and I hope my audience takes the right message from “Spoons and Needles- the story of how addiction impacts a family.”

I will have a new niece born in 2019, and I hope to be a good role model to all my nieces.

I will let myself be creative in 2019, and revisit my love for crafts, sewing and all things glitter.

One of the things I’m still working on learning, is that when things are going well in your life, you can’t always be looking for the other shoe to drop. That may be a lesson I’m always learning and re-learning.

This year, the smiles have finally been real again, and not coerced and forced for pictures. I think one of the biggest things I am trying to learn in 2019, is to let myself believe in magic again.