1 Second Everyday 2019
“We spend January 1st walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched. Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives ... not looking for flaws but for potential.”
This past year was fun. It was the first full year since 2012 that I wasn’t either pregnant, raising a baby, breastfeeding, or performing some combination of those things simultaneously. I was, therefore, able to turn my focus inward and commit to finding a rhythm that worked for our family. I took time to redefine our family’s needs and redirect my energy, time, and efforts to those things at the top of our list. This redefinition permeated all areas of our lives - we found a new rhythm in our schedules as we figured out our system of getting Maelle to Kindergarten and Linden to preschool; we figured out how to commit to more time-consuming activities such as gymnastics and swimming while still making time to play and have fun; we found new ways to function around Daniel’s chaotic work schedule while still creating space for socialization and family fun.
2019 also saw some amazing memories for our family. We traveled more, which gave us the opportunity to spend time with both our own family and our extended families. We took a mini-vacation to Edmonton where we went to the West Edmonton Waterpark and Galaxyland. We headed back to Vancouver and Maelle went camping with her Auntie, Uncle, Great Aunt, and Great Uncle. I got to visit my Grandma, which is always a priority. In April, we got to take our kids to Disneyland for the first time. There, we met up with my family and had a blast seeing Disneyland through the eyes of our children. It was such a fun trip and definitely won’t be our last - Disney World 2022 incoming. Unfortunately, with the tragic terrorist activity that took place in Sri Lanka, the trip with Daniel’s family was redirected to San Diego for quality time with the in-laws and cousins. We went to SeaWorld, Legoland, and spent many hours at the beach and by the pool. Despite the disappointment of missing the “big trip”, it was a fantastic week reconnecting with our family at an awesome kid-friendly destination!
2019 was also a year of growth and personal victories for our family. Maelle started Kindergarten and has taken to school like a fish to water. Linden’s language has blossomed and he is truly the joker of our family (when he isn’t sleeping). Daniel made the most of his opportunities at work and was rewarded with a promotion. I took a leading role in Maelle’s class, supporting her teacher in coordinating and scheduling volunteers, class trips, donations, and snacks. And, most importantly, I have maintained house and home while being the biggest cheerleader. One of my favourite duties is being the official record-keeper and photographer for both the standard and special moments in our lives. Similar to last year, I captured a short video every day to help remember all of our activities. To catch a small glimpse of our 2019 year check out our 1 Second Everyday video linked below.
This year, I plan to focus on balance. Now that I have mastered the new rhythms for our family I want to try to create a sense of complimentary balance. I want to pull back from the things that are simply draining our family resources and invest more robustly in the things that bring us joy and energy. In 2020 I would like to be more wholly present in the things we are committing to - this doesn’t mean less commitments, but committing more fully to what matters most. To me, there is no such thing as complete balance. You can’t juggle 6 plates and expect nothing to drop. Instead, I would like to carry one plate at a time, devoting all of my energy to that moment and be able to recognize when I need to put that plate down and pick up a new one. For me, this will dictate if I find success with balance.
So here’s to 2020, a new year and a new decade. May we find peace in what has past and turn our attention to the potential promise the future holds. Cheers!
