2018 has been a bittersweet year.
It was the year I’ve had the most minor health ailments that I can remember (Nothing serious, just annoying. I’m currently writing this with bronchitis, actually.) It was the first time I struggled with unemployment and finding a job in a new town. It was the first time I lost a young friend to an unexpected death, let alone two.
Through all the hard times, God has taught me lessons.
Those minor illnesses taught me to appreciate the health I do have, and the health I’ve enjoyed in the past. I have good health insurance, and the doctors and nurses I’ve met in Montana are all very attentive. Not everyone is as lucky when it comes to healthcare.
I’ve also paid more attention to what I eat. I’ve never eaten a lot of junk food, and have always enjoyed cooking fresh, healthy food, but living in a colder environment made me vitamin D deficient. I also lost 10 pounds that I didn’t want to lose. I had to focus on healthy fats and muscle-building exercises to get back up to a healthy weight and balance all the cardio I was doing.
The time I spent unemployed taught me patience, and gave me more time to work on writing my book. We moved into a 100-year-old house, and it had a few improvement and maintenance projects that needed done, so I learned a few new skills along the way. I started nannying for a family with four kids, and now have made some incredible friends. In the end, doors unexpectedly opened up for me to get the job I originally wanted when we moved here, editing and reporting for the local newspaper.
Losing friends at such a young age was a sobering reminder that none of us have our next breath guaranteed. We are all living on borrowed time, and at any moment the lender can take back what’s His. Our society tends to think of legacy as establishing a successful career or leaving behind a family you created. Neither of the friends I lost were able to do this in their short time here, but they still left a legacy of joy, kindness and service to others. I now try to live more consciously, focusing on this life and the next at once. Life is truly beautiful, and there are so many amazing things in nature and in our fellow human beings. I hope to spend a long time on this earth, but if my time to go comes in the next hour, I want honestly be able to say I’m ready. I want to be a blessing to as many people as possible before I leave, but I know simply being a good person won’t get me into Heaven. My faith in God is the only thing I have. Sometimes it’s not as strong as it should be, but I’m so thankful that God gave me this mustard seed to cling onto, and I pray He’ll help me nurture and grow it to something stronger.
Despite the hard times, 2018 has also given me a lot of beautiful experiences.
Exploring Montana has brought me to the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen. I’ve hiked more this year than I ever have with my sweet husband (77 miles total for 2018). It’s the first year we as a couple learned to deal with serious challenges. It’s a year where my writing has progressed, even if not as quickly as I’d like. It’s a year where I’ve been more introspective and at peace.
For 2019, I pretty much have the same resolutions as I had for last year:
- Write at least one page a week in my book.
- Read my Bible every day, and work more on memorizing scripture.
- Be thankful for what I have now, and stop pining away for the “next step” in life.
Cheers to another trip around the sun.
Duke Dynasty 