As the first decade of the twenty-first century winds down, I can’t help but look back at what my life has become.
Ten years ago…
- I proposed to my husband on his Momma’s porch while everyone inside was wondering if their cars would start with the Y2K bug looming over their heads.
- I didn’t realize what it meant to be truly happy in a job with healthy, happy people who share a common vision.
- I didn’t own my own living space and wondered if that would ever happen.
- I vowed not to be a rancher’s wife. No cows. No chickens. No animals that oink. Today, we’re just missing the oink.
- I never dreamed of moving away from family. At least not 750 km (466 miles) away.
- I thought I wanted a big foofoo wedding with every person I ever knew in attendance. I am so glad that we went a different route!
- I thought I would have a baby before I was thirty, but never made any real plans for when that would happen. Instead, it didn’t happen until I was thirty-five.
- I thought having things was so important. Silly me. Now I’m trying to simplify my life by getting rid of those things.
- I thought knitting and quilting was for grannies.
- I had no idea what a blog was and certainly didn’t think that the internet would be such an important part of my life. The people, the connections, the learning…it hadn’t really started happening for me. Yet.
In the last decade, so much has changed in my/our world. Good, bad, and wonderful things. Let’s take a look, shall we.
- 2001 – 9/11. I can still feel the terror of that day.
- 2002 – The Canadian Women’s Hockey team takes the gold medal in Salt Lake City, Utah.
- 2003 – SARS and Mad Cow Disease put Canadians into a state of panic. As a rancher’s wife, I can tell you that Mad Cow Disease still plays a big role in today’s beef prices.
- 2004 – The Indian Ocean Earthquake and tsunami kill nearly 200,000 people.
- 2005 – Canada legalizes same-sex marriage.
- 2006 – Pluto is demoted to a dwarf planet.
- 2007 – After losing the U.S. Presidential Election in 2000, Al Gore wins the Nobel Peace Prize for his involvement in environmental issues. Gore also helped to organize Live Earth.
- 2008 – Prime Minister Stephen Harper apologizes to Indian Residential School Survivors.
- 2009 – Barack Obama is sworn in as the 44th U.S. President.
A new decade feels so much brighter and full of so much promise. It’s like opening a new book or opening a new calendar X 10. What really strikes me as I sit in my home at my computer while my little guy toddles around my legs is that I am so much happier than I ever thought I could be. Ten years ago, I thought I needed stuff to make me feel peace in my life. Today, I realize how little we really need to make us soulfully satisfied. A sense of belonging, a few talents that we have mastered, having some independence, and giving to others. That’s it. That’s the secret. This concept is one that keeps presenting itself to me over and over again.
So, as I step into the next decade, I am moving forward with the commitment to stay centered. I am focusing on finding a balance in myself. A sweet spot in life that lets me feel good and keep my focus on family, love, friendship, and the joy of learning.
I wish all of you a Happy New Year and hope that as you look back on the last ten years of your life, you also look forward to the possibilities.
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