Hey, Old You

Cue the New Years Resolutions.. Is your 2019 goal to drink more wine? Start a workout plan? Stay in better contact with old friends? Throw out your old wardrobe? Be a better you? No matter what your goal starting the first day of the year is.. (if you're like me) it might be forgotten around the month July.

The original celebrations of the New Year and New Years Resolutions according to history.com began with the Babylonians thousands of years ago during a massive religious festival where they showed their loyalties to the king and made right on their bets. If the Babylonians kept to their word, their gods would bestow favor on them for the coming year. According to the Internet, this can be considered the forerunner of our New Year’s resolutions.

Fast forward thousands of years later, we are eating black eyed peas and cabbage to make sure we become lucky... and rich!

This year, instead of creating a New Years Resolution, I decided to reflect over something different... The "old me". After seeing over 22 "new years", I wanted to reflect on some of the old ones.

Although I am still so young, it is easy to look back and reflect over my character, career path, choices, and company I have kept. Throughout the years I have liked who I was, disliked who I was, been completely immature, matured emotionally and spiritually, lost weight, gained weight, been single, been in relationships, traveled different countries and states, cried, laughed, and ate way too much mac 'n cheese. I have made countless memories (some I like remembering and some I don't), gained new friends and lost old friends, and discovered lots of my talents (and things I am not so good at).

While some people are eager to put the years behind them in the past, I think it is important to reflect on them instead. What are you thankful for that have come out of years of turmoil? What have you learned about yourself through your good experiences and bad? Where has your path gone because of the decisions you have made? Do you like the person you currently are?

For me, I am thankful for all of the good and bad years I have endured so far. I am thankful for the person that I am today, no matter how different I am compared to years past. I am joyful for the people in my life and the season that I am encountering. I am excited for all of the "new years" that are to come, but cherishing the current one we have.

2019: Here's to being unapologetic-ally me. All 22 years of her.

Photo by Dare To Aim Photography