2017 & Setting Positive Intentions for 2018

theygkmom
Dec 31, 2017
3 min read

Hello my friends,

As Nora takes her last nap of 2017 I crawled back into bed and spent a few minutes scrolling through my Instagram feed from the last year, reading the captions, looking at the photographs and reflecting on my words, my thoughts, our memories, etc.

As you‘ve probably noticed things here at The YGK Mom have been extremely quite lately. I started this blog in 2017 but after returning to work mid-year and all of the transition that comes with that, including a lack of inspiration to write and to share - our content has been lacking. As I write this post I feel that this is the first time that I’ve felt inspired to pick up this keyboard in a long time. So I write this not out of obligation, pressure or commitment - I write this because I want to.

2017 has been challenging in more ways then one. It’s also been rewarding in more ways than one.

Looking back, I think I started 2017 in a bit of a cloud of darkness with a lining of hope. I was struggling being at home with Nora through the winter, struggling to continue adjusting to life as a mother, I felt lonely - but this darkness and this struggle is what brought The YGK Mom to life. I started this blog to give back to others, to share my words in hopes of connecting with other moms who may feel alone or feel like they are in that cloud of darkness with no where to look. Sharing my words and having this outlet of something to do for myself during that time was everything. I feel so grateful for that.

This blog also re-connected me with Kelly McFarland of Her Write Peace - through the following months we not only developed a friendship that I will forever be grateful for but we created The Real Moms of YGK. We created a platform for moms in our community to connect and to be told that it’s okay to need and want time for yourself - #momYOURSELF.

The Real Moms of YGK took off - I developed so many incredible connections and friendships in the community and for all of these things I’m grateful for 2017 and the space that was open for me to grow, to learn and to change both myself and others.

2017 brought challenges - returning to work and leaving my baby girl, being away from my family more than I prefer, entering back into work in a strange position that has brought it’s own challenges, re-building a family foundation inside the walls of our home that works, and also a lot of negativity - forced upon me as well as my own personal struggles with myself and a negative mindset that I’ve struggled to push away. I crave balance and happiness - and this year has been one of pushing through personal barriers to create balance where I need it and being able to adjust my personal definition of balance as many times as I want.

As 2017 has come to an end, my life has brought joy with the excitement of the addition of our new family member (coming June 2018) - but being pregnant comes with it’s own set of battles. I’ve been less social in the last few months due to being tired and craving hibernation. It also comes with it’s emotional challenges - hormones shifting and again, finding that new balance of life with a baby bump, toddler and the rest of it.

Life is hard - it has it’s challenges - and it’s beauty. It’s in times of struggle where we overcome those challenges and grow. Like every year, there has been change and growth, negativity and positivity, happiness and sadness - and overall I wouldn’t be sitting here inspired to write this note to myself today, without the combination of all of those moments and feelings.

I’m not really one for resolutions, more than setting intentions. My intentions for 2018 are to look for ways to inspire myself to do what makes me happy. To hope that I can continue to be a good mom to two babies, the way I try to be for one and lastly but not least, to not let my marriage and the love for my husband and my friends take a back burner. To grow all of those relationships in my life.

Thank you for following along our journey here at The YGK Mom - I hope to bring you some inspiring and interesting things for 2018 and I wish you and your families all the best as you celebrating the challenges and joy of the year that has past and toast to the new year and the opportunity that comes with it.

The YGK Mom