reflecting on 2014: Celebrate and Change

2014 is going to go down in history as a year of celebration and change.

• Celebrate and change. This year I led my team at work to win three national awards, then left the company in November.  I am so proud of the Piggy Pilots and all we became together. I celebrate all that I learned in my time at NECB, and look forward to the change that a new job will bring.
  

• Celebrate and change. This year my daughter and her family moved back to Rhode Island, so the six grandkids live nearby again. That means more interaction, and planning  space for them in life. 

• Celebrate and change. I finally redid my website. It's about time, since the first version was built about 10 years ago. Definitely time.
• Celebrate and change. This year I also spent considerable time reflecting on what really matters in life. I was able to spend time with friends, and celebrate with them as they experienced changes in their lives. 

Joann, Stephanie and Jean

This year I was able to spend time with two women who pulled me out of my comfort zone as I walked through the upheavals of life with them. Stephanie is 22 and I cannot imagine living through the horror and abuse she faced in her first 18.  I came out of a mess, but it pales by comparison to hers. Yet today, Stephanie is a mirror of God's grace. I have watched one of the most remarkable transformations in her over the past five months, but also some of the most intense suffering as she battles to regain custody of her daughter unfairly taken away at birth. Some days life just doesn't seem fair. But God is faithful, and knows the bigger picture.

Joanne let me see secularism through our conversations and her perspective. Coming from a world devoid of Christ certainly is different than the place I live.  We are both educators, with similar lifestyles, but certainly very different thinking. We have had many heated debates as she wrestles with her newly found faith.  This has given me a better sense of compassion this year. It is my honor to mentor both Joann and Stephanie and walk into 2015 together.

Celebrate and change. For me, it will be a change moving into another job. As I've been going through the interview process, I've been able to redefine who I am and what I want in my career.  I'm not changing who I am by any means. I'm just sharpening the focus a bit. I've realized how much I enjoy leading and teaching others, and look forward to working with another team. I also recognize the maverick that I am, and that creativity leads to innovation. However, many are threatened by it so I need to learn to tread lightly.

With change, comes predictable patterns. I anticipate the ups and downs of the new year with the changes, but I'm making a point to celebrate along the way. I hope you are too.