A Year to the Day

365 days ago, I woke up in a town home I had seen on line and my mother was kind enough (excited, eager, giddy enough) to scope out...be my eyes on the ground and put down the deposit a month before we moved back. Thank goodness, we had family and inadvertent things that made the transition more than manageable.

It would be a little over a week before our belongings would arrive, so between my parents and the landlord (who was the fomer "tenant") we had a bed, sheets, towels, dishes, etc. to get by for a while. I had two weeks to get Elijah acclimated to our new home, city, state, and prepped for a new school experience (which in hind sight was nice to have...but acclimation can't be forced into a predefined time period).

The past year has been amazing. There are few very things that I would have guessed would play out the way they did. Everything from Elijah's experience (or lack of) with his father, fun times with family (my dad's 60th, Chatfield Christmas lights, to name a few...)the transition to the new school, the new job I accepted with Seagate, the ability to visit our California family twice, started dating again since the divorce, reconnecting with old friends from grade and middle school, my layoff experience, Spring Break in Estes, the new employment opportunity, camping and fishing, and all of Elijah's sports fun - gymnastics, swimming, and soccer - all a blast for him and me...and even some family members...many of these things played out in ways I couldn't have anticipated.

While I am a huge proponent for not reliving the past and living in the moment, I believe there is value in reflection. When I woke up this morning (like many mornings), I counted my blessings. The past year has been packed with emotional, physical, and spiritual experiences and lessons. No matter what adjectives I use or how hard I rack my brain to choose the "right" words, the fundamental thought that transcends through all my ideas, memories, and emotions is how incredibly thankful and appreciative I am for the truly amazing people in my life.

My parents, best friend, old friends, mentors, extended family members, new friends, and Elijah are invaluable to my happiness, peace, sanity, solitude, outlook, strength, and so much more.

I look forward to what the next five days, month, season, year, and beyond bring for me and my little guy. I am realistic that it won't all be warm, fuzzy, fun, or whatever. Likewise, I am realistic I have and will continue to invest in relationships with loved ones that may act as sounding boards, pillars of strength, fountains of laughter, voices of reason, etc....when I may be running on fumes.

Let's see what the future brings..."bring it!"