End of Year Reflections

It's hard to believe that another year has come and (almost) gone. It's been a wild ride. There have been a great many highs, and not too many lows, so I guess that makes it a great year! Many of the highs have added work and/or stress, which has made it increasingly difficult to figure out the balance necessary to thrive.

On the family side, my daughter got married in June to a wonderful man who makes her very happy, which of course makes us very happy. She planned the wedding so well herself, and it was spectacular! It was wonderful to have a large gathering of friends and family there to celebrate with us - I think we all felt extremely blessed. Our good friend Paul performed her wedding ceremony, with a perfectly customized unity ceremony of a cocktail using the family tequila.

We have been able to take a couple of long vacations to our condo in Mexico this past year, including one with some friends. It is always such a mental break to be down there - Internet is spotty, weather is amazing, and there are wonderful places to eat and drink. We tried something new this year kayaking in the estuary, and I think it's an experience we may repeat! We also took a mini-vacation for my husband's 50th birthday, with a 3 day golf academy at Barona. It was an amazing experience and really made a tremendous difference in our golf swings. We still haven't had too many opportunities to get out on a course and see what a difference it's made in our game, but I'm hopeful!

This year also marked an athletic high, as I participated in a sprint triathlon with two of my high school friends. I think all of us found it to be quite the achievement, though our goals were not high - don't drown, don't hit anyone on the bike, and finish upright. We all accomplished all three!


Representing both a high and a low, my father moved into an assisted living facility down the street. It's great having him nearby, but it's a challenge as well coping with his increasing Alzheimer's. Among other things, I think it has really brought my sister and I closer together, as we collaborate on his care and visit far more frequently than we used to. It's not easy for either of us to find time away from work and family to visit, but it's been incredibly rewarding to spend more time with her and my niece and nephews.

We had loss this year as well, as my husband's brother passed away unexpectedly from a heart attack, and we were again reminded of the fragility of life and how important our time with loved ones is. The outpouring of support from friends, family and colleagues to my husband's family was amazing, and again made me reflect on the need to cherish all of those relationships, even when it's difficult.

On the work side, I was fortunate enough this year to get in on the ground floor of a new certification program for online teachers, Leading Edge. I was one of the first educators trained, and was among the first group to implement the training. Since my husband was also part of that group, I had the luxury of someone to bounce ideas off of and reflect with. I was also selected to be on the statewide Curriculum Committee, which meant I had the ability to help make meaningful additions and modifications to the content, affecting all trainers across the state. Having a large impact is very important to me, so this really got me excited. However, the time commitment has been fairly extreme, as I've been running separate groups at various stages of implementation while modifying content on the fly. I am thrilled to be passing the torch of delivery to other staff members in the new year, so that I can focus more fully on the curriculum and on growing the program. I also got the opportunity to join the adjunct teaching staff at University of La Verne, which gives me a way to impact teachers who are just entering the profession, in the context of a project-based program.

As I look forward to the new year, I think about my priorities - connectedness with family, enjoying travel, and passion about my work. Balancing those priorities will continue to be my challenge, and my resolution for the new year!