My One Word for 2018 is:

Simplify

For 2016 I chose the word Cherish

2015 was the most horrible, hardest year of my life. I lost my husband of 27 years, and my baby dog Patches who I’d had for 18 years. Every day is a struggle to get through mentally and emotionally. Yes, it’s finally easier to keep it together in front of people, but I still do occasionally lose it. And when I’m alone there is no stopping the overwhelming feeling of loss that I still feel. I’ve used more tissues in the last year than I  had my entire life before I lost my husband.

Sometimes we take the people we love for granted. We get busy with our own lives and don’t spent the time we should with them. I cherish the time I had with my husband and Patches. I was with them both pretty much 24/7 and I feel so Blessed to have had that time with them. The feeling of losing a spouse is so hard to fathom unless you too have had that loss. And the loss of a pet, while not as excruciating, is still very hard.

2015 was a hard year for many of my fellow bloggers too. Many of us lost loved ones, more than I can ever remember from previous years. I pray 2016 is a much better year for us all.

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