Grateful — 2022

While I wouldn’t recommend everyone change jobs, have a newborn for the first time, move house, roll an ankle, and get laid off from aforementioned new job all in the same year, I find myself this NYE feeling gratitude more than any other emotion. I got to welcome my daughter into the world, move into what is pretty much a dream home in the city limits surrounded by great neighbors, work with a mentor and friend again, follow him back to an old team, and develop new fitness modalities. Amidst all of this, I managed to read 36 books, keep hosting The Gap Year, help lead the thriving 20s/30s Bible study at church, travel, pick up guitar again, and spend lots of time with friends and family. I have plans and goals for next year, but they’re mostly just further developing the good things I already have going on.

Make no mistake, it has also been immensely challenging too. The instability of working at startups can be disorienting. Raising a tiny human who would not exist without you violently shines a light on your frailty. A new home entails uncovering things that need new work and ongoing maintenance. Having a fitness routine, which is critical for your own sanity, upended by an injury can leave you feeling adrift and frustrated. And unemployment just plain sucks — “funemployment” my ass (thankfully I start a new job this upcoming week).

But there are also blessings in the challenges, things that would not happen had you bypassed them. As Dr. Kelso said, “nothing in this world worth having comes easy.” It’s been a blessing. I wish I could show myself ten years ago where I’m at now. It doesn’t all come easy, but it’s all worth having.