It’s been a while. It’s always a while but I’m hoping to get myself on a writing schedule that will include blog writing. I have decided to write every day for a year and then hopefully continue into the next year. I started in the middle of the month and I’m currently on day 12 of writing every day. I always end up writing super late but I’ve been able to get a bit done every day. I’ve been journaling, letter writing (love letters to my friends), editing my novel and now I’m back to my blog. Work writing is not included unless it’s an experience blog post.
To start my post, I want to talk a little about 2023. 2022 was probably my toughest year yet. We were neck-deep in dealing with Anthony’s behavioural problems and I couldn’t catch up on anything else. He changed classrooms at the start of 2023 and if I were being perfectly honest, I’d say it was a pretty tough end to his grade one in the Balance Room. I didn’t get phone calls every day though so I didn’t get that panicked feeling when my phone rang. I still have a lot of stress from the fall of 2022 though and I sometimes still feel like everything is going to go wrong. Grade Two in the Balance Room (Fall of 2023) was almost a breath of relief. My son is still learning but his behaviour was so much better and he was able to control his temper just a little more. We’re still learning about ADHD every day and learning about other ways to make changes in learning and behaviour. This year, I’ve watched him read and write on his own and it has been my favourite thing. He doesn’t love it yet but he doesn’t fight it either. Things aren’t perfect but they’re a lot better.
Something else I did this year was focus on me. I took some breaths and let go of some of my control. Controlling everything was not working so it felt good to stop. It felt good to get out of my house a little bit more and spend time with my friends. I still have work to do but I did a lot for myself. I had fun. I laughed. I confided in friends. I worked on gaining back some confidence that I thought I’d lost. I started finding myself again.
23 Things I Learned in 2023
- The Fall of 2023 was so much better than the entire year of 2022.
- Taking time to do things for me is essential to my well-being.
- Watching my son read has been the highlight of my mom life.
- I wish I had known bad self-esteem starts so early. Maybe it did with me (I can’t remember) but as a parent seeing my son struggle with loving himself is so hard.
- A win is a win. Even if a million bad things happened before that.
- I’m not the perfect mom. I never will be. That’s okay.
- Making time for friends saved me in 2023.
- Loving myself will always be a top priority (and hopefully help my son learn to love himself.)
- You can never love too many pups.
- Family is and always will be everything.
- Vacations are important.
- I’m still addicted to my phone. Maybe that’s a good goal for 2023.
- Vision boards are cool but I’m not doing one this year. It’s all pretty similar to the last.
- I need to learn how to focus.
- Laughing with my son is possibly my favourite thing in my life. Laughing with my entire family is even better.
- I’ll never accomplish my goals if I don’t work on them.
- I’m in my effing 40s. It’s time to learn how to budget.
- Friends will continue to come and go. Which is why I need to tell them while I have them how amazing they are.
- Reading is amazing.
- I will never be the perfect Instagram person. Being honest is better.
- I would like to work more. More paid writing jobs. (This means putting myself out there.)
- As always, being outside is our favourite place.
- I didn’t have as many adventures as I would have liked last year. I don’t regret our lazy moments but I wish I had done more.
2023 WORDS: GRATITUDE LAUGHTER ANTHONY DROGO JEWEL CLINT FAMILY FRIENDS FUN LOVE
Goals for 2024
MENTAL HEALTH:
Continue to educate myself about ADHD
Ask for help
Breathe | Laugh
Put down my phone
PHYSICAL HEALTH
Make appointments. Dental. Doctor. Eyes. (Seems easy. But I’m really bad at it.)
WRITING LIFE
Be better at my Family Fun job. Continue to learn more and be more creative.
Freelance. (This means putting myself out there.)
Edit my novel one more time and then get it published.
Write “Survivors”. Talk to people. Learn more. Do the work. Tell their stories.
MOM LIFE
Be an advocate, support and voice for my son.
Put down my phone and simply be with him.
Tell my son that I am proud of him.
Continue to be his person.
LOVE MYSELF
Smile more. Laugh more.
Have Fun.
FINANCE
Save the money I make. Spend some. Save most.
GRATITUDE EVERYDAY
BE: Happy. Kind. Brave. Independent. Me. Silly. Grateful. Weird. Smart. Funny.
2024 Words: Adventure. Balance. Brave. Bold. Amazing
See you next week. (Maybe. I can’t guarantee anything.)
Writing Mom Life 