The close of the year...
I’m always so conscious of the strange limbo these few days between Christmas and New Year’s day present us with. We’re never exactly sure what day it is and time doesn’t seem to pass in the same way either.
With each New Year that comes around, it can feel hard to avoid feeling bombarded by every possible new year's resolution on the internet; the often repeated overview of the 'best year ever' and people's high hopes for 2017. There's something quite lovely about sharing these thoughts and I think I would be doing the same too had 2016 panned out in a different way.
As a family, this has without a doubt been our most challenging year to date. It's been fraught with a lot of hard times, stressful times, 'dig deep' moments and health scares. Consequently, it's been the kind of year that has shown me in a new light exactly what we're made of as a couple and as a family.
I feel strangely indebted to our trials this year because they've given birth to immense personal growth and a deepening faith in our God. Even though I'm only 25 years old, I feel as though many of my life experiences are incomparable with my peers and they've been overwhelming and isolating at times. It's not that I consider myself any wiser or 'together' than the next person at all, but I suppose some of the difficulties our family have been through are quite unusual. I don't actually know of any other families out there who have three disabled siblings and I guess it's not exactly something most people can relate to.
To give a little context here, a couple of weeks ago my oldest brother contracted a chest infection which, for any healthy person is quite treatable and easy to overcome, but for him, (as a severely disabled young man with a form of leukodystrophy) he was sent into a very quick downward spiral that left him unrousable. Being on the other side of the country at this point and relying on my family at home to keep me updated on his situation day and night, the word thankful doesn't even come near to my feelings about his eventual recovery. It's a win for the whole family and yet another victory for us because we are all too aware of how easily it might not have been.
There's been immense growth in dealing with the bigger things life can throw at us and an inescapable sense of hope- often found in those midnight conversations with family where we find ourselves holding onto a neverending belief that all things will be well.
Our 2016 has not been glitzy, glamorous or particularly attractive. To be brutally honest, it's been bloody awful at times.
But our year has been lived fully, honestly, painfully and obediently. I'm incredibly proud of my husband for his unceasing attitude of perseverance in spite of some troublesome months with his work. Without a doubt there have been absolute rays of light that have brought much-needed magic to the year; little Joshua's safe arrival being one of them! We always referred to him as our hope throughout the pregnancy and we will look back on 2016 and remember the joy he brought to our lives in such a difficult year.
2016 is coming to an end and, admittedly, I am ready to draw a line under it and move on. I find myself eager to welcome 2017 for the oppertunities in the pipeline and the exciting things planned. But more than any material thing, I am excited to dream about the possibilities and the 'what if's' just around the corners.
Time is a precious thing and it's something I have grown up extremely conscious of. I'm not going to bore you now with my personal list of New Year's resolutions, they're most likely the same ones you'll be reading on every other blog at this time of year! But I would like to thank you for stopping by, for continuing to do so. In terms of the blog, this year has been quite remarkable and it makes me very excited to embark on another year writing here, knowing how much support and love I have been blessed with.
Happy new year dear friends,
I hope you have a wonderful 2017 ahead!
Love,
