Welcome to 2019!

The downtime that comes with this time of year always makes me reflective. A few things are due to the time of year it is.

• January is my rheumatoid arthritis anniversary. Happy 15th to me! For the most part, I feel good. I have a feeling this might be the year to change up medications and I am okay with that. Years of living with RA have allowed me to understand that RA, like all of life, is always changing.
• Izzy, our border collie turns 12 this month. I know our time with her is limited but she is my forever toddler. There is never a day she doesn’t make me laugh out loud. She came into my life for a reason.

As an optimistic, I cannot help but feel good about things that are coming this year.

• In September, my status as a part-time teacher, full-time mom changed. I am now a full time employee. I help support an adult education department. It has taken some adjusting, but I really enjoy my work. I am excited to see what opportunities are in store for me this year.
• Mothering has been my passion for so many years. While I will always be “Mom,” I know the time has come to back off a bit. I am hoping the new year guides me on how to be the mom my young adult children need me to be while still honoring who I am as a person.
• In 2018, I lost some weight but more importantly, I added flexibility and strength to my body. What comes next? I want to continue making healthy changes that support by body and allow me to feel comfortable in my own skin.
• Each year I see more and more good things happening in the rheumatoid arthritis community. Our voices are being heard! I am excited about what the new year will bring for patient advocacy and new friendships.
• Despite waking up to depressing news each and every day of 2018, I feel hopeful. My opinion of people in general hasn’t changed. People are good. If nothing else, the last year has helped me understand that I don’t agree with everyone on many topics, but the closer I look, the more we have in common than not. My goal is to find what is common and build on that.
• Lastly, this year has really made me reflect on how I can bring change to the world. One thing I know I can do is spread kindness. It might not seem like a huge contribution, but each day I can do something that makes the life of one other person a little better. I know my smile has impact. I know my gentle words help others. I want to use what I have as my strength and build on it however I can.

Thank you for following me this year. I appreciate your comments and learn so much by following many of you.  May 2019 bring good memories, new adventures, and tons of love.