November 12, 2020
Hi, I'm Sarah. It’s my birthday today. I am 29. There is nothing particularly special about one's 29th birthday, but the last year or so of my life has been filled with so many astronomical events—the not-so-smooth birth of my first child, a global pandemic, social unrest, a natural disaster, and a seemingly incessant bout of illness that culminated with my first-ever trip to the ER on Christmas day last year— that it seemed now was a more appropriate time than ever. I’ve never empathized with the analogy that life is a roller coaster more than I have this last year. The highs have been so high, but damn, the lows can be SO low.
But these experiences drove me to seek comfort in the chaos by way of going inward and manifesting outward. Sometimes this was a conscious effort and other times I was forced into these realizations only to understand the lessons in hindsight. In either path, I quickly learned that focusing on what I have to be grateful for enables me to not only pass through these trials, but find joy in them simultaneously.
Is it easy? Of course not. If it was, I wouldn’t be sitting here writing this. But it showed me a new way of living and inspired me to make a conscious effort to practice gratitude, among other supportive practices, each day. I’d love to get to a place where this practice becomes a more natural (and unconscious) part of my day, but perhaps that’s what this journey is all about. So it is my vow, for the next 365 days to be grateful, to share in my reflections, and to offer my challenge to you. Come along with me.
XO
SS
Learn more about me and my family here.
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