Farewell 2021

I entered this year with two fully remote learners and one toddler at home wreaking havoc wherever he could. I was in college online trying to finish my BA. Oh, and we were still very much living with pandemic fear. I still feel at times that the last two years are one big, long blur. The experiences meld together so much I don't always know in what order things happened.

As I look back and see all this year brought into my life and I am filled with gratitude. All the lessons, experiences, joy, love felt, fear overcome, and so much more made me an even more whole woman than I was when I entered 2021. I am so ready to receive what 2022 has to bless me and my family with. I feel a giddy excitement that sits on a solid foundation of knowing dreams will come true this year.

As we say farewell to 2021 I encourage you to take a moment and feel thankful for what the year brought to you, good and bad. What gifts did you receive? What lessons were you blessed with? Did you have to walk, or crawl, through hardships you thought you wouldn't make it through? Did you find joy in unexpected places? Take a moment and really feel all you experienced. Smile and be grateful that you get to walk into 2022 with all the wonder you earned from this year.

Here are some of the highlights, goals reached, and favorites from my 2021:

In Jan of 2021, I set a goal to read 12 books and I am proud to say I read 21 books! I am not going to lie, my college reading lists helped, but that counts! A book is a book, right. Here are some of my favorite books I read this year...

Where the Crawdads Sing

Tending to the Sacred

The Color Purple (no link here because amazon was way too pricey. Check a local bookstore.)

Persepolis

There are more, but these stick out in my head.

One of my top five most amazing moments this year that brought so much relief and joy to me was finishing my BA! It was like the longest exhale ever, who knew my shoulders didn't live as earrings?! I am done and can now move into the career of my dreams.

I also carved out time to heal this year. I did so much work moving through new grief and grief I had been storing for most of my life. I truly let go of things and people that only brought toxicity into my life. There were moments it was extremely painful and moments I thought there couldn't be anymore, only to find more tears waiting their turn to trickle down my cheeks. (Who am I kidding! I spent quite a bit of time Claire Danes crying!) But now I head into a new year with love and respect for myself and my boundaries that I have never had before.

I also did the soft launch of my new business The Sacred Sunflower. Creating this business was so much fun and such an outlet for my creativity. You never know how you truly value yourself until you start a business and share your gifts with the world. Luckily I have some great friends who reminded me. I learned so much and can't wait to see what this coming year has in store for the business.

Here are some of my fave finds this year.

I am obsessed with crystals and found Melissa through a friend who shared my love of them. She has live sales through social media and has some of the best quality stones I have ever purchased. She's sweet, honest, and fair. Which is very important when buying crystals these days!

I found two new snacks during my twenty-one days vegan in Oct. BHU protein bars and cookies are delicious. I also am loving Aloha bars. Both bars do not taste like cardboard or alternative sugar. They are a great afternoon snack when I am craving cookies and candy!

As some of you know I did a lot of hair changes this year...

But I will always love a red lip!

My prayer for you all is that you embrace your authentic selves in 2022. That you shed all the fear that keeps you from your joy. May 2022 bring you all you need to soar!