I think my life changed more in 2018 than it ever has previously.

It has been a roller coaster ride with many twists, turns, and plot changes. Almost everything that happened was unexpected. Before I reflect on the goals of 2019, I want to summarize the year of change in chronological order.

1. We sold our start up company. It was the biggest year of financial growth. We still worked for the company under the guise of things staying pretty much the same. My husband Paul started the business 20 years earlier and I joined him 11 years ago. Together we worked hard to build and sell a successful business venture.
2. We were able to pay off all of our debt.
3. Our insurance changed. We changed doctors and dentists.
4. We crossed our first continent outside of our own off of our bucket list. We spent 10 days touring Thailand.
5. A close friend was diagnosed with cancer.
6. We invested in real estate and moved to a new town. We sold our little house that we lived in for 18 years and moved into a mansion with an indoor pool. We said good-bye to our old neighbors and everything we knew.
7. My daughter Angel and I visited Nevada for the first time for a music competition. I checked off visiting my 31st state.
8. Angel started dating Dan.
9. We said good-bye to the 16 year old daughter of close friends who died tragically in a car accident.
10. I ran my first trail marathon, the 4th marathon that I ran. We spent the weekend of my birthday sleeping in a tent. It rained 2 inches the first night. The next morning I got up and ran a marathon. It was so challenging that instead of saying that I am never going to run again, I asked myself what more I could do. I decided that the following year I would try a 50k.
11. My mom retired and started to have issues with her health.
12. My daughter Arabella started going to a new school in a different school district.
13. Arabella got her first job and started driving.
14. My son Alex and his girlfriend broke up after dating almost a year.
15. My son had his car damaged the same day he got it and the perpetrators are facing criminal charges.
16. My husband turned 50 and had a health scare.
17. My son’s friend started staying with us. We hoped to help him turn his life around, but he stole my ruby ring and is no longer welcome here.
18. After touring a college for music, my son dropped out of band. The future that I had played out for him is gone. I’m not sure he will go on to school at all.
19. My daughter’s beta fish died that she got in high school. Now Angel is a junior in college and is not planning on coming home after Christmas break.
20. The people that we were renting office space from sold their property. We stayed in the same building, but said good-bye to the people we knew there.
21. We left our church. Again, we said good-bye to the people we knew for the past decade.
22. I lost my job unexpectedly. The new owners decided to move operations to a new location. I said good-bye to two long term employees that I managed. I also had to say good-bye to clients and colleagues.
23. We closed our office and had to be out by the end of the year. My husband and two sales people are still employed and work out of their homes. I am wondering what to do next…

I think that pretty much sums up the year of change.