Reflective Questions to End the Year 2023

My friend and fellow blogger Betty over at Chambers on the Road just posted “Ending 2023 Intentionally” based on an article her brother sent her https://nosidebar.com/intentionally/.

Betty is a wonderful writer, her posts are funny, heartfelt, and interesting. It was a great post, and I loved the idea of ending the year by answering thoughtful and reflective questions.

I thought I’d take a few minutes to reflect on 2023 before I make resolutions for 2024, by answering the 10 questions posed in the aforementioned article.

1. What makes this year unforgettable?

We moved from Idaho to Nevada. It was by far the most difficult move we’ve ever made. I was praying constantly for strength (mental/emotional/physical). After we got everything and everyone moved over, I felt more exhausted than I have ever felt in my life. Well, maybe not as exhausted as having a newborn and not sleeping for months on end, but this move exhausted me in a way I can’t seem to adequately describe with words.

2. What did you enjoy doing this year?

I enjoy homeschooling my 3 children immensely. It’s not always easy, but I love doing it. I love planning field trips and coordinating unit studies. I love learning about interesting things together. We went on lots of very cool outings like sledding, hiking, museums, a demolition derby, waterfalls, lakes, farms, State parks, bowling, ice skating, The Lion King musical, gold panning, star gazing, an air show, hot air balloons, and the ocean. We also went on a fun vacation and had a blast exploring the Portland, OR area together.

Meeting my cousin KW’s newborn baby boy and seeing her as a new mom was a huge highlight for me this year.

3. What/who is the one thing/person you’re grateful for?

My husband. We don’t always agree, but he truly balances my personality quirks. We make better decisions together because of our different ways of approaching almost everything. We both have a strong faith in Jesus, and our Christian foundation is the rock of our marriage.

Having a big outdoor space for the children to play outside safely. This is a top priority for me, and I’m super grateful to have it here in Nevada. I love that the kids are able to play outside almost every day at our new house, that alone has made the move from Idaho worth it.

4. What was your biggest win this year?

The kiddos and I finally completed our Space Science Unit study. I had started it years ago and then somewhere between all the moving it got pushed aside. I’m really happy that we started it over again and finished it this year. It is a huge win for me as a homeschool mom.

Hiking the 5 mile Multnomah – Wahkeena Falls Loop was another big win!

5. What did you read/watch/listen to that made the most impact this year?

https://www.audible.com/pd/B0CGJSXSPF?source_code=ASSORAP0511160006&share_location=library_overflow

“Sorry for Your Loss” by Michael Cruz Kayne was a paradigm shifting piece for me. It’s not for everyone because of the bad language. He says the F-bomb frequently. So be forewarned. But after listening to it, I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

http://Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder https://a.co/d/9wxUopE

“Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder” by Richard Louv is a must-read for anyone who has children, or grandchildren, or works with children in any capacity.

6. What did you worry about most and how did it turn out?

I worried about selling our house in Idaho and buying a house in Nevada.

Our house in Idaho didn’t sell, we’re renting it right now and it’s the source of great anxiety for me. I wish it had sold.

We bought a house in Nevada and I’m still not sure it was a good decision. It was the least worst decision we could come up with, so it’s what we ended up doing. We had to take down several dead trees, install a whole-house water filtration system, and replace the leech lines for the septic system (and have the septic tank pumped out twice), so it’s been a big expense.

My last connecting flight home from my cousin’s funeral was very very turbulent, the flight attendants were not as calm and cool as I would’ve liked to have seen. I was quite worried about landing safely. The plane was landed safely and the entire cabin applauded the pilot and co-pilot for getting us all back on the ground.

7. What was your biggest regret and why?

I regret not seeing my cousin Ali one more time before she died. By the time I realized how aggressively her cancer had returned, it was too late. Flying to her funeral instead of flying to visit her fills my heart with regret.

8. What’s one thing that changed about yourself?

I didn’t try to control every situation like I have in the past. If the last place I want to go is the zoo, and everyone else wants to go to the zoo, I smile and go to the zoo instead of making a case to go somewhere else. If the kids all want to go on the aerial tram and I think it’s going to be a big waste of time/money, I smile and go to the aerial tram. If uncle Larry wants to carpool on the 4 hour drive and I hate carpooling, I smile as I hop into the group’s car and say thank you for the ride.

9. What surprised you the most this year?

Meeting new friends that we get along with really well at the teeny tiny library in our teeny tiny town.

The huge amount of wildlife we’ve seen living in the middle of the Nevada desert.

Seeing a herd of 11 wild mustangs on my back lawn out my kitchen window!

10. If you could go back to last January 1, what suggestions would you give your past self?

Go visit Ali right away. Take whatever offer you get for the house in Idaho. Make a lower offer on the house in Nevada, get a tree inspection before escrow closes. The trees need more water than you think they do.

Adios to 2023! Thank you Betty for the sharing these end-of-year questions of reflection.

🩵 heavenstobetty