Monumental

There are plenty of people who say “The new year is just another day.” Some people may say it just because that’s how they feel; no particular reason. I suspect there are some people that don’t recognize a new year because of cynicism.  Life has a way of throwing jabs for so long, those jabs can send a person into a complete cynical bubble that’s difficult to get out of. I’ve had moments in life where it felt like my heart was just going to explode; moments that left me feeling broken and hopeless. So, I sympathize with those who don’t have the desire to recognize a new year, let alone get turned up for it. (Side note: Today is the last day I’ll ever use the phrase “Turned up” or any form of it.) There’s still something in me that won’t allow my mind to ignore that I’ve lived another 365 days! It is a privilege to have been given the grace and space to see the end of another year-it’s monumental for me. The end of a year brings all types of emotions. The emotions that I can articulate are excitement and anticipation.  For 2014, I have a vision of what I would like to see happen not just for myself, but for the people I love. This is the last day of 2013 and I can pick up the phone and still hear my loved ones voices. It goes without saying that no one knows what 2014 holds, but I do know that I will hold on to my loved ones much tighter. In 2013, I realized when you finally accept, once and for all, that dream and just go for it; that decision takes you into another zone of self-confidence and assurance. 2013 brought me a full understanding that peace of mind means everything.  So, whether you celebrate the end of a year/beginning of a new year or not, I wish to you peace of mind and more self confidence. With those two, you can conquer anything in 2014 and beyond.

My list of "2013's Fascinating People"

                                                         

My Nephew

There’s no holding my nephew in my arms because he is now walking! Because my parents’ house is not baby proof, we had to create barricades to keep him in one room. I watched him as he studied the “barricades”: walking back and forth trying to figure out a way to get free! Kids show us how to be resourceful: if you can’t get one thing one way, they show us how to create another route to get where we are trying to go.

My Niece

When my niece asks for something, in her mind, it has already happened. When she makes a statement, she says it with fact even when there is no evidence. Kids show us how to be bold with our faith. Thanks to my niece for reminding me to just believe.

My Grandfather

You know the adage, “It’s never too late”, well; my grandfather personifies that to the fullest. How many people in their 80s do you know still compete in weight lifting contests? About 1 month ago, he competed and beat several records. He doesn’t do it for notoriety. He does it just because he enjoys it.

My Brother

This year I really had the chance to watch my brother as he is fulfilling his role as a father. I’m sure there are times things get tough for him in his new role. The way he has embraced fatherhood has given me many “Proud Big Sis” moments.

My Mother

I’m the age my mom was when she decided to pursue a career she’s always wanted. She pursued HARD in unfavorable situations. Today, she has those two letters behind her name.  Her success goes beyond having those letters. She is also successful because she didn’t wait for the “time to be right” nor did she wait until she “had more money.”  I'd say most of her success lies in the fact she realized she waited long enough and made a decision to go for it. No excuses.

Top 7

During this time, there are shows who give highlights of fascinating moments, fascinating people, or pure ridiculousness of the closing year. Well guess what?! Yours truly has created her first list…Top 7 long moments of “Pure Ridiculousness that needs to end in 2013.” Please note: The number does not denote the level of “ridiculousness.”

1)     Every unfavorable situation, including bad weather, has been blamed on President Obama. Just stop it. You know who you are.

2)     Those of you constantly claiming to have “haters” aka “fans.” Who cares? Just get more hobbies. This way there would be no more mental energy left to spend on all “haters” and “fans.”

3)     Facial tattoos. No.

4)     Being afraid to make that dream a reality. At least try. (A reminder to myself.)

5)     Men with braids/long hair. I can’t.

6)     People sending me game requests on facebook. 

7)   People talking about themselves in 3rd person, like I just did above. 

Friend..Are you there?

Other than death (a little dramatic), what would cause a friend to stop returning your phone calls, emails, text messages? This topic came about when my brother expressed concern that a friend of his had stopped communicating with him. Now my brother expressed his slight disappointment for about 2 minutes and then he was done with it. Of course, as Big Sister, I offered my advice. I told my brother to not take it personally and some people you have to just let them be. I started thinking about the times in my life when several people that I labeled as friends didn’t reciprocate my communication efforts. This is what I believe: Friendship=Communication. Friends are blessings. Friends are people that you share your heartaches and triumphs with. If you are feeling like you’re pushing a friendship/communication on someone, then I’m pretty sure he/she is.not.a.friend. People DO change and get different over time for whatever reason. Even if you said something or did something offensive to those individuals, if they couldn’t be mature enough to express that to you, that’s too bad. Sometimes life gets in the way. I get that and yet I still don’t believe in constantly trying to contact someone who chooses to not respond. To wonder “What happened?” or “Did I say something wrong?” is wasted mental energy. You wish that person the best and move on.  

Rent a what?!

It was brought to my attention over greens and german chocolate cake that people are renting boyfriends/girlfriends for the holidays. Now I had to do a little online research to find out how many of these “rent a boyfriend/girlfriend/” services exist. These services are big business and there are plenty to choose from. The goal of this service is to help people avoid the holiday “pressure” of family and other people asking questions like, “Where is your date?”, “What happened to the “one” you brought to the last holiday dinner” or “Why aren’t you dating?”  Let’s stop here. No one can pressure you unless you allow it. What happened to just being honest and saying, “I’ll bring someone around when I feel the time is right” or “I thought I would be cuter if I came alone” or “My love life isn’t up for discussion. I came to eat!” (Being honest is free. No service charge for that!)  I get that some of the pressure comes from within. Here you are sitting at the table surrounded by couples and you have walked into this holiday gathering by yourself. You may start to look around wondering if you are the only one who doesn’t have a boyfriend/girlfriend/fiancé/husband/wife..something?!  I’ve been on both sides: I’ve been “attached” to someone at the table and I’ve been “single” at the table. Even though those questions hit my mind, being the “single” one didn’t make me feel any less or incomplete. It certainly didn’t make me feel like I should’ve rented a boyfriend just for appearances! That is not cute nor is it hot. I felt complete because I was surrounded by my family. I felt complete because I was talking, laughing, and joking with the people I love. It may seem as though I’m mad at these services. I’m really not. The creators of these services have found a niche to make legal money. These “rent-a-date” services feed into the notion that people would rather paint pictures and be pseudo, rather than just live life for real.