Hey ya’ll! I cannot believe it’s been three months since we chatted, time flies when you are having fun though right?! I’ve been thinking all week though that a post was long overdue. Because of that this post might be extra long, sorry about that but there is lots to talk about.
First things first I have to mark an important date, tomorrow is December 21st and that marks 6 months since I left my career as a 911 dispatcher. I can not believe it has been that long already. As much as I absolutely loved that job I have to admit that walking away was the best decision I’ve ever made. I had no idea just how drained I was; physically, mentally and emotionally; until I wasn’t anymore! I certainly have days where I wonder what my responders are up to, who’s retired, been promoted, been hired, changed shifts, etc. I’m thankful to still have a relationship with some and get to see their lives on Instagram but I do miss that daily interaction. I’m thankful for all the connections I made in my 5 years and pray they all continue to do great things and get home safe every day.
Second let’s talk about birthdays, mine specifically because well it is my blog and my birthday was yesterday. And I must say this birthday will probably go down in history as one of the best! Everyone who knows me knows that in our house I do most of the planning but boy did my husband take the reins and run with them this month. Since my birthday fell on a Thursday, our typical night at Three Notch’d, I knew we had to go there. I also knew that our friends there knew it was my birthday and would help make it special. I also figured my husband would try to get my kids there and I knew my sister would be. What I had no idea about was just how many people David would bring into this plan for such a huge birthday surprise. I walked into the restaurant to have staff lining up to hug me and wish me happy birthday, only to look over and see a table fully decorated and filled with my children, my sister and several of our friends! Also included in that staff was the head brewmaster himself and our friend who used to work there and hadn’t been back for a visit since leaving in September! Then things got real when my husband decided it was present time and all of these staff members started gathering nearby. I knew I was in trouble and good Lord the pressure, I had all eyes on me and I hate that! As I opened my present (knowing my husband got me jewelry) I found a very pretty and apparently very cheap ring only to look over at my husband getting down on one knee with the real present! He presented me with a beautiful new wedding set and said since he had never done it right the first time he wanted to ask again if I’d marry him! I said yes of course with tears streaming down my face and to the cheers of all of our family and friends as well as a bunch of strangers I’ll never know. I’ll add a photo and video below!
So, 2019, man what a year! The beginning of this year had a rocky start and lots of challenges for us. We returned to Virginia after thinking we were going to make North Carolina home. We lost my father in law very unexpectedly. We again faced challenges in our marriage. We walked through some struggles with our son. We had a rough go of it for the first few months. Then at the beginning of summer I made the very tough decision to change careers and praying that this would change the momentum of our lives for the better and not the worse. Now as I reflect back I have zero regrets about leaving dispatch or about going to work at State Farm and then leaving there as well. Everything that happened from January 1st to August 31st had a purpose and guided us to where we are now.
To reflect only on the first half of the year and it’s negativity would be failing to see the blessings that came after we walked through the trials; and the blessings are plentiful! I have a job that I love, coworkers that are amazing and a company that couldn’t be a better employer. My marriage has become the relationship I always dreamed and knew it could be. Both of our children are healthy and happy. I’ve met many wonderful new friends simply because we sat a bar one day and I tried a new beer. I also made great new friends just because I’m a Wahoo fan! It is a wonderful feeling, finally at 42, to be able to say I have people that I truly consider friends.
While we are on the subject of friends I feel like I have to bring up social media. One of the main reasons I think I am happier and my marriage is better is our choice to give up social media this year. We made the decision to cut out everything except our Instagram accounts and it was one of the best things we could have ever done. While in many ways we miss the interaction and have been considering starting a new Facebook account it is such a scary step to take because I don’t want to go backwards. Let me give you a bit of life advice if I could, if you really want to see who’s got your back, deactivate your Facebook the week of your birthday. When your special day rolls around, see how many people actually call/text or go out of their way to wish you happiness when Facebook isn’t there to remind them or blast it in their news feeds all day. You might be sad, you might be surprised, but I can promise you one thing you will be enlightened!
Enlightenment now there is a word to describe this year in hindsight! I think my husband would certainly agree as he has had a major year of growth. He read me this quote the other night and it definitely sums up this year for him. “2019 taught me to stop aspiring to sit at tables where I have to bring my own chair, squeeze in between folks and repeatedly convince others why I should be there. I learned to build a new table”.
I’ve had tremendous growth as well and have such a better and healthier outlook on life. I found this quote that I feel like sums up the year for me. “We all have a bag. We all pack differently. Some of us are traveling light. Some of us are secret hoarders who’ve never parted with a memory in our lives. I think we are all called to figure out how to carry our bag to the best of our ability, how to unpack it, and how to face the mess. I think part of growing up is learning how to sit down in the floor with all your things and figuring out what to take with you and what to leave behind”.
I want to leave you with the song that I’ve picked out to represent what 2019 was for me, both in how my life changed and how I see my future. My husband and I both changed and because of that our marriage and our life changed. The bones are good so we didn’t break when challenged, we grew stronger. I pray you’ve learned as many lessons as we have in 2019 and that you are looking forward to 2020 not to have a new start but to grow and embrace the knowledge you gained this year and most importantly to LIVE!
~Carla~
Arise and Glow 