I know it is well past New Years Day – but I have been taking stock of 2022 and really thinking about what I want 2023 to look like. I jumped over some big hurdles last year to accomplish some really hard things. Change was the overall theme for 2022 and with change comes the uncomfortable. So I knew at the beginning of last year I was going to have to get really comfortable with the uncomfortable. No doubt Change is Hard. And it was – but I didn’t die from it.
We kicked 2022 off with a doozie of change – and I sold my house that held so many memories for me (both good and bad) and trekked through uncharted waters to buy a home in Lake Charles. I had never lived anywhere but in Sulphur so this was super scary for me. The house in Lake Charles was a great buy but it needed some remodeling work. Simultaneously I was neck deep in a massive rebuild/remodel project with some storm damaged apartments that I bought. It was a struggle to manage both projects but it showed me that I CAN do whatever I put my mind to.
We got settled in the house and after a few months finally started loving being in Lake Charles. The new apartment complex finished its renovations and came online – filling up within a month of advertising them.
Lizzy went away to law school making this the furthest we have ever lived apart. That has been hard but I am a proud mama watching her work hard for what she wants.
An appearance on a game show rounded out the summer. We are so excited about getting the air dates and letting our whole community watch along with us. We loved that we could represent our small corner of the world.
I played a whole lot of tennis! A whole lot! I improved my game and had an amazing year. 5 of my teams made a state appearance with 2 of them advancing to sectionals. My level of play got bumped up officially and this year along with me playing on some of my teams from last year – I will be captaining my own team.
With my State appearances I got connected with some amazing ladies in Lafayette and have some new friends, new tennis regulars, a tournament doubles partner and a dream opportunity as a travel agent! (Its quite amazing how GOD opens doors, connects people and brings opportunities and drops them at your feet)
Travel is ALWAYS a part of my year. We started the year with a friends trip to Fredericksburg, Tx. We were deeply entenched in NCAA basketball and traveled near and far to attend games. We topped off the season with a trip to San Antonio to attend the Elite 8 as well as a trip to New Orleans to watch the Final Four. Dean and I took a tennis focused trip to Key Biscayne, Miami, Fl and made some new tennis friends that we hope we can connect and play with again! We celebrated our friends birthdays on a biking trip through Vermont! I also made time for my girlfriends and joined them on a trip to Nashville and a trip to Fort Worth. We rounded out the year with a family trip to Myrtle Beach, SC for thanksgiving.
Wow – what a year. It’s been a good one but not without its struggles along the way. When I think about the previous year I think I accomplished what I set out to… And I am proud that I can do the hard stuff – whatever it is. Usually by the end of the each year the next year’s theme arises and so it has….
2023’s theme is Connection. Let me back up a bit. What I have found over the course of recent years is that the entire world population is distracted.. some might say we are “connected” because we have instant access to endless information and social media platforms. However, we are less connected than we ever have been in history! I see my littles being so consumed with their phones that sometimes they don’t even hear me when I speak to them. I see them getting a lot of needless information from the internet/social media but missing the good stuff – the good stories that my uncle tells, the opportunities to connect with family and friends, etc. I even see myself getting consumed with social media. I do not want that… I want to be connected in a way that people feel seen and known when they are with me. I recently read Glad You’re Here – by Walker Hayes (the country singer that sings “Fancy Like”). THIS Book! It was written along with Walker Hayes friend and neighbor, Craig zCooper who also led him to have a relationship with Jesus and become a believer. He did it by meeting him where he was in life – making Walker feel welcomed, SEEN, KNOWN and LOVED. We cannot do that if we are invested so much in social media and our phones. Connection is what drove Walker Hayes’s transformation! I want that to be my story – I want my circle of friends and family and those that I come in contact with throughout this year to feel that I am connected…..present…- seeing them, hearing them and knowing them.
A big part of connection is openness to perspective… For me I gain a broader range of perspective when I read books about real people’s stories and watch documentaries – so instead of having my head in Social Media – I will be expanding my mind that way. I hope to read 12 really good books this year! I highly recommend “Glad You’re Here” (as mentioned above) #walkerhayes #craigcooper
I also have some tennis goals (duh lol) this year. I Love sports as a whole and well… women’s sports are highly underrated and under attended and really 2nd in comparison to men’s sports. This year I am going to champion women’s sports – We will watch, buy tickets to women’s sporting events, etc. Maddie sees the disparity and I want her and I to be part of the change that puts women’s sports in equal footing with men’s. #girlpower
I am looking forward to another great year with alot of growth personally. I just turned 50 and like I have told my friends and family – that doesn’t make me sad at all!!! It’s just a number and I must say I am pretty proud to be 50 and do the things that I do. Most 50 year olds don’t or can’t!
So Cheers to 50 and cheers to 2023! I hope you and yours have a wonderful year full of good times, good people and good things!
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