New Year, same ever evolving me

Every year that passes, I get more and more comfortable with my disabled body and what it takes to keep it moving. It's a gift really, getting to spend years with this body that survived cancer twice. Learning to love it for all it's gotten me through. When December thirty first comes around, I see it a little differently than I once did. I could make a million New Year's resolutions influenced by the targeted ads on my social media accounts, but I doubt a single one of them would give me any kind of sustained happiness. They never did in the past. So, I prefer to set intentions. Intensions for a rewarding career and a healthy body and mind. Fewer fearful doctor appointments, more adventures, and lots more time on this earth to enjoy them.

My favorite New Year tradition, aside from eating twelve grapes at midnight and drinking copious amounts of champagne, is writing down everything I want to leave behind with the previous year on a sheet of paper and then watching it burn. There is something so satisfying about striking a match to all of that negativity, leaving things behind that no longer serve me. Then, over brunch the following day, I can flip through all the good that happened over the last twelve months like a picture book in my mind. These are the moments I want to carry with me year over year.

I don't need to pretend I will become some new person when the clock strikes midnight. I know that's not going to happen, and frankly, I don't want it to. I like this person who is forever learning and growing, regardless of what time of year it is. Maybe if we all focused more on loving who we are, we might want to keep evolving into a better version of ourselves instead of someone else entirely. There's no need to wait for a new year or month to start. Every day, we get a chance to be more kind, gain more knowledge, and become more accepting of ourselves and others. Today is just the day we get to do it with sparkles and bubbly ;)