Today is the last day of 2022. Time sure does fly as you get older. New Year’s Eve 2021 feels like yesterday.
This year has been a wild ride that I didn’t want—an unending ride of hills, drops, loops, and corkscrews until the inevitable sickness. The amazing thing about difficult times in one’s life is the lessons they teach. Rereading my holiday post from last year inspired me to reflect on Christmases past, which then snowballed into reflecting on all of 2022. With the hustle and bustle of the holidays almost over and the calendar about to gain another year, I wanted to take a moment to spread gratitude and give thanks to all my loved ones. One of my main 2023 resolutions is to prioritize gratitude, so I decided to end the year with a warm and fuzzy article detailing everything and everyone in my life for which I am grateful.
Because it takes a village.
- First and foremost. I wouldn’t be where I am without the parents that I barely see. I moved halfway across the country, but I still feel their love and support from 1000 miles away. We talk (almost) weekly about various things, even though most conversations end up on Loki. Mister fluffy butt must always be the center of attention! But this first point goes way beyond our current relationship. I wouldn’t be anywhere close to where I am now without their wholehearted love and support throughout my life. They allowed me a roof over my head far beyond when I should have stood on my own two feet, but I am extremely thankful for them doing that. I moved out when I was ready, and their love and support set me on the right path.
- And that right path led me to the best wife anyone could ask for. She takes care of the overlooked stuff in our life that deserves all the recognition. We have a rule in our house that whoever cooks, the other does the dishes. Well, the Queen of the House ain’t no dishwasher, but she’s a phenomenal chef. And the ol’ Jester of the house loves to eat and sometimes forgets to hand out the recognition the Queen deserves. But that’s not all she does: preps all our meals and lunches, goes grocery shopping, cleans things I don’t even think about (who even looks at grout lines!?), and makes sure Loki Sassypants has a plush supply of food and squeaky toys. I can’t forget to mention how much she has supported this website. She helped me purchase my computer when I planned on waiting, got me a plethora of helpful gifts relating to the site, and she’s even made a couple of custom shirts with my logos on them. TALK TO HER IF YOU WANT ONE. The bottom line, she’s the best.
- The apple also didn’t fall far from the tree. My in-laws are phenomenal people that have supported everything my wife and I have done. They make me feel like I gained another pair of awesome parents. I feel like one of their own, despite me not being one. I moved away from one family and gained another one.
- And I wouldn’t have any kind of time and finances to write this article without a job that feeds my family, provides quality healthcare, and provides a life for me to pursue my hobbies. Sometimes it’s easy to forget the absolute basics. My entire life wouldn’t exist without a support system and that support system needs a foundation. That foundation is my job that keeps me healthy, happy, and fed. Forgetting to be thankful for the basics is easy, but that’s the important stuff we need to be thankful for. I’d have no life without food, housing, and healthcare.
- Speaking of healthcare…I’m 33 and healthy. I have my mental health struggles, as we all do, but it could be soooo much worse. I need to be thankful for that. I try to work out as much as my energy allows it, but consistency has always avoided me. 2023 will be the year I return to my pre-pandemic fitness.
- And last but not least, I’m thankful to anyone I’ve called a friend in my 33 years of life. I know that I may not be the easiest person to get along with, but know that I care about my friends.
Thank you!
This year’s main lesson taught me that I’m not alone. I was recently reminded of the sentiment that it literally takes a village to build anything. I’ve probably said that “life is hard” a hundred times this year, but it rings true in my brain every single day. Despite some people whining about “handouts” daily, the truth is that nobody hands out anything in this life. It’s everyone’s personal responsibility to fight and claw for anything they want, but we aren’t truly alone in that fight. The saying “it takes a village” conveys the fact that it takes many people to raise a child in a happy and healthy place where that child can flourish.
There’s a support system behind me, and this post is dedicated to them. Those people are the ones who have helped me fight tooth and nail to make me who I am today.
Sometimes I need a reminder of things, big or small. Whether it’s a byproduct of my ever-increasing age or undiagnosed ADHD, who’s to say? But this past year has explained in gory detail that I’m not alone. It can be challenging to admit one needs assistance, but there are people out there who care.
I had a support system all along and look forward to embracing it into 2023 and beyond.
Thank you to everyone who has supported me and reads this tiny blog.
