You may have heard me talk about this on the air~ I received my yearly letter from a friend of mine about a week ago. I always look forward to her yearly letter b/c we unfortunately don’t get to talk or see each other like we used to. Lately, the only time I hear from her is during this yearly letter. Sadly, she doesn’t hear back from me b/c she is not on Facebook and I am terrible at keeping up with friends via regular mail.
The letter started as most do, wishing me a very Merry Christmas and then proceeding to tell me what she’s been up to this past year. I have to admit that the first time that I read this letter through, I was hit by a little twinge of jealousy. Especially when she said that she was able to quit her job early last year to hang out with her girls. Sometimes I wish I could do that too. Then she told me about the trips that they took as a family and as a couple. I always expect this and look forward to it b/c I sometimes think I’m living vicariously through her and all the fun things that she gets to do. As I read and consider how much better her life is then mine, I decided that I needed to put the letter down and take a few steps back.
This person has been in my life for more than 20 years and has always been a supportive part of my life. As I re read that letter, I took a different approach. I read it as someone who is thankful for her longtime friend, a friend that still sees fit to remember me at Christmastime even though I haven’t sent her a card in 3 years. A friend that has a busy life just like me and wants to remember the good times just like I do. Her letter also reminded me that my life this past year hasn’t been all that bad! It made me stop and think and take inventory of what I’ve done this past year.
This is what I came up with ~ 2014 was a year of firsts for me! I visited New York City for the first time ever in March of 2014 and had a blast! I flew in an airplane for the first time ever in May of 2014. I was also in a movie for the first time ever in 2014. My son and I were extras in a film over the summer. I got to hang out at the circus, go to the beach, sing a song on a Christmas album, see several new movies, get creamed playing video games w/my boys, go shopping with my daughter and have date nights w/my husband. In the middle of that some pretty ordinary things happened, some sad things happened and some things that aren’t worth mentioning happened. All in all, a pretty great year when I stop and think about it. The problem is that I don’t stop to think about it enough! I want to thank my long time faithful friend for her end of the year letter and reminding me to stop and think about my year before I dismiss it and forget all the great things that happened. This year I am choosing to remember the good things and not dwell on the bad. My next step is to sit down and write my friend a letter!
What do you come up with when you take inventory of 2014?
Sherry
