Missing Your Parents During the Holidays Series: 7 Ways to Feel Better (Part 7)

What did we do with our time in 2012? What are your 2013 New Years INTENTIONS?

2012 ends today. What did you do with your time here? Here's some things I did with mine.

It's the end of an entire year of our lives. As we reflect on the last year, Facebook reminded me of these accomplishments, mostly with with their Year in Review tool. Let's take a moment to thank ourselves for the things we accomplished, enjoyed, and moved forward on. I'll go first.

This year I:

bought a new car that makes my heart sing every time I get in it got to my weight loss goal and lost 50 pounds Hosted my 7th and last Half-Way to Michfest Benefit in NYC (a benefit I created, and now has spread nation wide!) successfully visited the west coast to visit family and friends had an amazing time at my favorite music festival with so many friends from across the country got to hang out with my cousin Joanie, her husband and two awesome daughters in Seaside Heights, NJ and spent a lot of time enjoying the boardwalk together (which is no longer). traveled out of the country to Montreal, Canada (first time we'd ever been there) and tried a new form of transportation - riding around on their bixi bikes! went to 2 gay weddings (there was a 3rd, but I was traveling and couldn't attend), one of them being my first legal gay wedding in New York for my dear friend Jen from college and her partner, Stephanie - yeay! began to enjoy more hiking experiences outdoors was asked by the The Grief Toolbox to participate in an awesome project submitted to a logo contest by the Ewing Arts Commission and the Ewing Environmental Commission and won unanimously. Was later presented The Green Ewing Award by the mayor of Ewing Was a judge for the 2012 Web Marketing Association Awards survived Hurricane Sandy met Ty Pennington from ABC Home Makeover volunteering at the Jersey Shore with my partner, Catherine was interviewed for 2 featured website marketing articles for Mercer Business Magazine (and was the only woman!)

I think the point of writing all this is sometimes we think we didn't live fully but if we look back at the last year of our lives, perhaps we can really take a moment to thank ourselves for pushing through and trying to live life to the fullest. Lisa, I thank you for doing this for me. Look at all the things you accomplished this year! I did it all in an attempt to live out my joy, even if my parents aren't here to be with me in these moments physically, I know they are here with me for the ride spiritually. Here's to many more movements forward!

New Years Intentions

I like the idea of new years INTENTIONS much better then resolutions. Intentions are more about focusing on what you want rather than trying to write over things about yourself you don't like or trying to resolve something. I haven't quite figured out what my intentions are yet. I know a couple of them is are going to be to continue to follow my bliss and to try and be a better version of myself, loving and accepting myself more and more everyday. What are yours?

Losing Your Parents + Healing: A Cool Jar Idea

Pinterest is a really cool way to find cool ideas and express yourself. I saw a jar with some notes in it and I thought, why not make a jar for ourselves that's parent healing related? We can use it throughout the year. When the year is over, open up the jar and take a look at the wonderful things that your parents have given you. Here are a few ways I was thinking we could try this:

- write down every time you think your parents is "visiting" you or saying hello and put it in the jar

- when you remember a gift that your parents left you, write it down and put it in the jar. This includes things like, things they taught you that you use in your daily life, things they told you you apply to your life, physical items they left you that you use in your daily life, etc.

Next year, I'll ask you about your jars. If anyone wants to submit some of theirs at the end of next year, I'll put it online to share. Additionally, I am going to be doing a special series about signs and asking you about signs you've experienced, so keep track of the signs you've been seeing! That will happen in 2013 sometime, so you can use the signs you have added to your jar :)

I'm sending you lots of love and wishing you a very happy, blissful 2013!

xoxo

Lisa