The Joy in the Middle

This winter has been a wild one to say the least. We've had a legitimate blizzard, a separate snowstorm that dropped over a foot of snow, a "snow day" caused by dangerously low temperatures...all separated by some random 60+ degree days. If I didn't look up the forecast, I'd honestly have no idea how to dress on any given day. Looking back on the past year, life sort of mirrored the weather: 2018 really held some of my highest highs and lowest lows, and I think I'm still getting over the level of emotional whiplash I experienced over the past twelve-ish months.  I worked myself to the point of burnout and physical exhaustion at my job, buried one of my closest relatives & role models, and found myself withdrawing because of anxiety more than I'd like to admit; I also took five different trips, officiated my brother's wedding, and spent the better part of a month in my beloved England.  

2018 taught me a lot, but if I had to sum up the most important lesson of the past year, it would be to recognize the joy in the middle--those average days that pass by without fanfare, that get lost in all the highs and the lows. The days where I get home from work at a normal time, snuggle the cats, eat dinner, do the dishes and read before bed are the ones I hadn't appreciated enough, but there is so much happiness in those simple moments after such a year of extremes. While I'm hoping that 2019 has more highs than lows, if the majority of my days are in the middle, I'll be perfectly happy with that.