story

i've always loved new years eve...and not because of the wild parties or extravagant plans. hell, i'll be lucky if i even make it up to midnight tonight with my episodes of dateline and box of wine. (maybe a glass of bubbly as well!) anyway, the close of each year is like the ending of a story. each month of that previous year is like a chapter in that book. this year, there are some chapters that i would like to reread to capture each delicious detail, there are some that i would like to skim over...and there are others that i would like to skip reading all together. however, i always enjoy the beginning of a new year because it's an opportunity to start fresh, to start the story all over again so to speak. more over, the older i get and as each year passes...the faster time seems to go. i feel like one day i'm going to wake up and be 70 and wonder what the hell happened. but here's the thing, you are always the writer of your own stories. yes, things happen that are out of your control...but how you act and react to certain situations are all part of your novel. i can only hope that one day when i look back on the chapters of my life that i have something worthy of reading.

i've said it before and i'll say it again...we can learn so much from children and the way they look at life. ella, my three year old, tells me she loves me at least 32 times a day. it's like it pops into her head and right out of her mouth...sometimes for no reason at all. moreover, if something is pissing her off, she's not afraid to tell you that either. as adults we get jaded by things that have happened to us and we choose not to share with others how we are really feeling. i love when people are raw and open and willing to get dirty. however, it's easier to keep shit inside, then to share. (i get this.) kids live out loud, and i love them for it. i tend to over share with people (obviously) and vice versa happens as well. a couple of weeks ago, i had a conversation with fen's roommate, who is an army corpsman. over drinks, he told me that he was going to be heading to guam in a couple of months. i told him that i was sad to see him go, because the older i get the harder it is to find good people. people worthy of your time and attention. people who are capable of carrying on a good conversation. (he agreed.) so many people came in and out of my life this past year and i am so very thankful for each lesson that each person taught me.

i don't know if 2013 was the best year of your life, the worst year of your life...or somewhere in between. but i do know this...everything that happens, happens for a reason. there are no accidents and we don't meet people by chance. (i believe this.) yesterday i randomly met the mom of one of my sister in laws friends, at a party. she was one of the most bubbly, outgoing, and fun people i've met in a very long time. it's very obvious that she lives out loud. she went on to tell us that she has been a hairdresser for 40 years. (can you imagine all the stories she's heard?) anyway, she was taking pictures of every one's kids...and even got a video of one of the kids with his head stuck in the railing (yes!). she told all the moms there that they should take lots and lots of pictures and document everything, because time goes so fast. (it's true.) i don't know what 2014 has in store for me, or what kind of stories i will write, or what kinds of people i will meet. however, i'm excited to see what it holds. at the end of one year and the beginning of a new one: may you embrace things that make you happy, rid yourself of bullshit that bogs you down, and always remember that you are the author of the chapters in your own book. get busy writing or get busy dying, people. cheers to a new year!