2019 is certainly turning into a year to remember with all good things coming into place.
It certainly hasn’t been easy street. There is the uncertainty with my eye which still is a concern but my last appointment showed no sign of the meningioma affecting my eyesight. I’ve pushed the potential surgery to the back of my mind because I’m hopeful for a miracle. I’m in an unknown zone where I don’t know what will happen in the future, so while I’m waiting, I will just keep living my best life.
I’ve also had friends go through difficult times. Unexpected diversions they never intended for their life. Despite the circumstances, there is always something good to see, despite the circumstance and despicable behavior they have to put up with.
For me, the arrival of spring has seen plenty of good things to be grateful for.
The first was… I took the month of September off for work. Truth be told, I had a leader show me how to put leave in and we joked about taking a month off, with the intent to change it to less time… but I never did. I’m glad I stuck with it because 4 weeks of leave was quite wonderful. I was meant to take time to self-reflect on my workload, but the requests for work have been coming consistently, and I’ve said yes to most of them because it’s work I love to do.
Within those 4 weeks, we went away to New Zealand. You can read about our trip to Queenstown and Wanaka.
The intention of the trip was to take the kids to experience snow. We experienced that and so much more. I forgot how beautiful New Zealand was. Of course, that trip wasn’t all perfect either. Our second last day was frustrating as we had a stone crack the windscreen on our hire care. I was so grateful I opted for the top protection for the car or else we would have been up for an unexpected bill. And yes, if you hire a car and you’re not at fault, you still have to pay an excess. Travel insurance would pay… but only to a certain limit.
While we were in New Zealand, I got an email to advise my blog had been shortlisted in the Amara Interior Blog Awards. These are international awards and they are judged on a global scale. I’m shortlisted in the Best Interior Lifestyle Blog in the International category. As far as I can see, my blog is the only Aussie blog out of the 5 listed in my category. The awards ceremony is in London on the 14th November. To be nominated was a surprise, but to make the shortlist – well I was pretty chuffed to be included.
Good things have been flowing at my part-time job too. I started back last Sunday night, and even though I forgot codes to change screens and I fluffed about on some calls, struggling to remember how to navigate the system again, I got through. That’s a good thing right there.
I also got an email from work saying I’ve been chosen for an experience spending a day with a Head Of within our company. I’m pretty thrilled for the opportunity and find it ironic after writing this post.
I recently relayed all the good things happening in my life at present with a good friend, and while it’s all great stuff going on, I can tell you this time 2 years ago, I was not in a good place. I was in need for a change. I was in financial arrears for work I had done and wasn’t paid for, and the situation got worse before it got better. It had an impact on my self-esteem because I felt like an entrepreneurial failure.
But persistence, consistency and trusting God has brought the right connections in place. Knowing what to say yes to and what to decline has been a wisdom rollercoaster. But here I am two years later, thankful for it all.
I’m hoping the last three months of the year won’t rush by like the last 9 months have. I will have prep interviews for Phoebe this term which is another change on the horizon. I will have 3 kids in school next year. I’ve dreamed of this day, but I also am reluctant for it because it means we’ve officially left the pre-school years.
And so there is a snippet of the good things happening here. It’s always nice to write it down in a blog post.
