Fresh Start

Let's be honest. 2010 was hard.

Not a lot will change in 2011, it could actually get worse *shudder*. The only thing that I am probably going to have control over this year is my attitude. It seems possible when I get real smiles like this one.I have noticed a change in my thinking (paradigm shift for those of us who speak therapist) in the last few months. Part of it had to do with my lovely friend, the grief cycle and that nice stage called acceptance. We have come a long way, from not even leaving the house for days to trying new, scary things like going to the mall to see Santa. I'm not ready to go wild with Cole anytime soon and try to return to a "normal" routine. I'm not even done freaking out about the impending airplane ride to Miami. This one is keeping me up at night. No hospitals at 35,000 feet. Yet, I can see how we have come leaps and bounds from where we were even this summer.

I know that each person has their own way of dealing with something major (crisis in therapist talk) happening in their lives. I am just proud of how we are coming along. I'm not perfect by any means and still have a long ways to go. I'm just glad that we are trying to give Cole the best opportunities that he can have right now. So even if that means my child ducks under the rope and tries to ride the cow in the nativity scene, at the temple, at least he can walk and is interested enough to try it ;)Yes, his dad took a picture. He is his mother's child.

"Come What May, and Love It!" is our extended family theme for 2011, from this talk. I am now a proud owner (along with all of my siblings) of a vinyl sign with this saying. A nice reminder to just react to adversity with laughter and a smile.

So here's to 2011...may our attitudes be positive and our trips to the hospital be few!