Saturday Soul: Hooray for Me!...

                                                                             Source: google.com via Kayla on Pinterest

I've decided that today's post is going to be a celebration of what I have achieved this year. At certain times I've viewed this year as a 'blah' year, one that I was just 'making it through'. Now that I'm coming to the end of it though, I can see that I really do need to acknowledge myself for things I've achieved. It has been ridiculously hard at times and I have absolutely asked the question 'what the hell has my life become?' on numerous occasions. But at the same time, I've done and been through some big experiences and I'm going to celebrate them damn it!

• Living on my own and looking after Bailey as a fully fledged single parent.
• Living alone for the first time since leaving my parents house when I was 22 years old (I spent many a month alone when I was married and my partner was in the Army but I was still attached if you know what I mean....).
• Finding new daycare facilities for Bailey and dealing with the settling-in issues for him.
• Working in 3 different work environments, learning totally new tasks in completely new industries and making friends in each.
• Getting myself back on track after a major emotional dip.
• Deepening friendships and being my complete self.
• Traveling to Hawaii and staying there on my own.
• Traveling to India on my own and then holidaying with a group of new people.
• Playing competitive hockey again after 3 years out of the game.
• Losing weight when I felt I needed to (I don't say this because I have a weight issue, more because if you knew how much I love food, you would appreciate how even the thought of losing weight for me could be huge!). 
• Clean eating for 4 weeks (or even a minute really! See above point and you will understand).
• Navigating the dating world again and all this entails.....
• Starting a new blog.
• Healing/ grieving the end of a marriage/ 13 year relationship.

I may have forgotten some things but this is pretty good I think for someone who had been going to write off this year as the one where I didn't have any expectations other than 'to live through it'. 

I feel like a corner is being turned for me and a new beginning is just up ahead. I know there will be twists and turns and highs a lows, because that's life. But its so nice to be ending this year feeling more at peace than I have done in a long while. Regardless of what has been thrown at me I am so grateful for what I have and for the fact that I have the ability to get back up when I've been knocked down (thanks to very supportive family and friends, as well as my inner strength). 

Looking forward to an amazing 2012 (just saying that scares the hell out of me. I could swear it was only just the year 2000!)