It’s the last day of 2021 and I’d have to say honestly this was one of the worst years for me personally and a pretty tough year for Maturing Mama as a whole.
I’m not a fan of just complaining. There’s always good amongst the bad and good that comes from the bad. I believe that all things do work together for good for those called according to God’s purpose- just like the bible says.
So instead of dragging this on, I’ll only list three bad/good circumstances about this year. And you can see for yourself how good came out of every bad circumstance.
- Good People Let Me Down
This year I had people I trusted let me down in a very big way. One was a previous landlord, another was a leader in the church and another was a relative.
These were people I trusted and did my best to give the benefit of the doubt to and make amends with. No one gave a genuine apology and some tried to “buy me off” in a sense. You know those people who don’t say they’re sorry but send a gift… If you know me well you’d know gifts without a sincere apology or conversation about the matter, means nothing to me. Let’s clear the table and acknowledge what was wrong- that for me is gold.
The positive thing about all this was that I didn’t lose my hope in God. And I was tempted to so many times. There were moments I wanted nothing to do with God or the church. I mean, why would a loving God put such horrible people in my life to hurt me.
But I know people like that. People who were hurt by others and in turn walked away from their faith in God. From what I’ve seen, the only person that loses is that individual.
I’m happy to look back at those individuals that hurt me and not feel bitter or vengeful. I still feel sad by how horrible they were. But I know God is going to avenge me. So I can just sit back and relax. I feel at peace and like I’ve simply closed that chapter of my life with them.
- I Went A Full Year Off Medication
This was both good and bad. I’m happy to be off medication- like I’ve said before, the effect on my body wasn’t fun towards the end.
However, I had some insane panic attacks and periods of depression. I had moments I seriously considered taking my own life and literally caught myself making a plan. It was scary.
But I’m proud to say that I’m ending the year having gone three straight months without a dark thought. I’ve had regular meetings with counselors and developed a regular workout routine that’s kept me in control of panic attacks. I feel healthier and better about my body.
Heck, I’ve lost 25 pounds this year just from trying to improve my mental health! This is my first time doing that without the help of giving birth.
My relationship with God is more genuine because of how honest I’ve had to be about my struggles. In the past I often felt like I had to put on a show, like I had my life together when praying. Or like I felt good about everything even when things weren’t good. This past year I had many moments of being brutally honest with God and I believe it helped me trust Him more.
- Maturing Mama Said Hello and Good-bye to Team Members.
I have to say, the one thing I didn’t expect when running a business is the turn around of staff members. I thought that the moment you hire someone you’re with them for the rest of the journey of running your business.
But truly as the business grows, staff must grow with it. So we had to say goodbye to those that weren’t able to keep up with the new demanding work load. Also to those who transitioned to a new path that couldn’t include us. Some of these paths included new business ventures for our previous staff members. How exciting to see our Mamas now running their own businesses!
We said hello to a new creative team with a whole other level of skills that took the magazine to new heights. Have you seen our latest printed issue??? We’re so excited for more of that to come.
We also added new members to our mom authors with dynamic new stories that’s brought us a new audience that includes Mamas that work in the entertainment industry! We’re so excited to discuss more about Mamas that work in film and TV.
This year we have a lot of exciting new things to look forward to. We have a lot more printed issues coming out. We have a lot of innovative businesses we’re working with. 2021 has ended in a manner that leaves us expectant of great things to come in 2022. We hope you guys will continue on this journey with us.
My greatest hope for 2022 is that it will bring exciting new challenges that we’re capable of handling. Last year it felt like I was swimming without a life jacket for a full year- and I’m not a strong swimmer.
This year I want to be practical about what Maturing Mama can or can’t handle. I want to have more grace for myself as I take on balancing multiple new roles… I want to have more fun. Enjoy the work we’re doing and stop whining about what we aren’t capable of doing yet.
What are your hopes for 2022?
