Today is the second last day of the first decade of the new millennium. In a mere handful of hours, we will be bidding the decade adieu and ushering in a new one. This is a time, for me, to reflect on the past ten years and celebrate what is to come in the next.
My life in the past ten years has changed drastically. In 2000, I was still settling into university, completing my first year. I was making plans and looking forward to a long career in teaching and keeping my eye out for that special someone. The year 2000 is actually when I met and began dating my husband, and I knew right from the beginning that he was "the one." We haven't looked back! It's been a great ride, and I'm looking forward to the next ten years. As well as meeting my husband and marrying him, I earned myself two university degrees, had two beautiful children,and reunited with my amazing sisters. I have laughed, I have cried, I have hurt and I have rejoiced. I have realized many things about myself, and my past, enabling me to heal and become emotionally stable and independent. It has been quite a fabulous experience.
In the past year alone I have seen my newborn grow into an almost toddler, begin to walk, talk, laugh, and seen her personality emerge. I have seen my five year old excel in her first year of school, learning to read ahead of her class, learning to add and subtract, and learning that being a part of society requires all of us doing our part. This last month she decided to spend her allowance on a donation to the food bank instead of buying herself a treat, which I was incredibly proud of. I have seen her become a smart, empathetic, kind and caring individual who isn't afraid to think her own thoughts. I have had my own triumphs this year as well, which have been well documented on this blog. I have now lost a total of 47 pounds, and am wearing single digit clothing sizes. I am also in good shape, and have really made a positive lifestyle change. I have learned so much more about health and healthy living, and I look so forward to continuing along that path, ever looking forward.
In the next decade, I will be saying goodbye to my twenties. I turned twenty in 2001, and will be turning thirty in 2011. I am reluctant to admit this fact, but there it is. I am entering a new decade of my life while the world enters a new decade of its own. Am I ready for it? I'm going to say an emphatic 'NO' on that one. I'm not sure I am quite willing to stop being a twenty-something and start being a real grown up. Though I have been married seven years, have two children and have long been out of university, I don't always quite see myself as an adult just yet. I know I am, and I know I can never return to the carefree days of my youth (whether my youth was carefree is a matter up for debate), but I do wish I could stop the aging process some days - at least to erase the gray hairs that keep surfacing along my hairline.
It's not all bad though! In the next decade I get to watch my girls grow into young women. By 2020, my oldest daughter will be 15, and my baby will be 10. That is a scary, yet exciting prospect. I don't know how many of you out there know just what kind of crazy I am, but when I tell you I actually enjoy working with teenagers, you will get some idea. My teaching career has brought me to primarily teens and preteens ranging from age 11 to age 15, and though I haven't enjoyed every single second of it, I can honestly say it has been greatly satisfying. I had a turbulent teenage life, and I think it fashioned me especially well to work with teens. That is why I am actually, sort of, a little bit, looking forward to having teens myself. I am excited to see just what kind of young women my girls will be, and the next decade is about to reveal it to me.
I'm also excited to see the deepening of many of my relationships in the next ten years. I have begun (and continued) many lovely friendships in the past ten years, and it will be wonderful to further explore them. I have also reconnected with my sisters, and in the next year my baby sister is moving to my city. I am actually beside myself with excitement that she will be closer, because we haven't lived in the same city since 1999! What a change that will be! And I'm sure she'll get sick of me, because I will want to spend every spare minute I have with her.
Another thing I am looking forward to in the next decade is a change in career paths, for both my husband and myself. We are both delving into unknown territory, which is a little scary, but will inevitably be greatly satisfying. The next few years are going to be hard. They are going to be exhausting. But they will pay off. I have great faith that what is in store for us is nothing but our deepest desires, and I intend to grab on and let life take me for a great ride.
These are just a few of the things I am thinking of as we prepare to usher in a new year and a new decade. Though the last ten years has had its share of difficulties and trials, it has also had its beautiful moments where I have realized life is what we make of it. Our world has changed irrevocably in the last decade, beginning with the destruction of the twin towers, and continuing with the tsunami, earthquakes, hurricanes and many other horrible disasters. But it has also shown that our fellow man can be compassionate and empathetic, as evidenced in relief efforts in places like Haiti and New Orleans. It has shown that we are getting closer each day to a cure for cancer, and many other life threatening diseases. We are becoming a global community where people can reach one another by the click of a button, bringing us ever closer to true compassion and empathy with our fellow man. I am greatly looking forward to the next decade and the possibilities it holds.
So, as we say goodbye to 2010, and the whole first decade of this millennium, what are you reflecting on? What are you hoping for as we move forward into unknown territory?
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