2010: The year my family moved to Oklahoma. That was SO tough at 13. I had just started finding my place, I actually liked school, I had some great friends. The last thing I wanted to do was move to a town I had never even heard of in a different state!
2011: A year that brought news that I never in a million years thought I would ever hear. My family was broken. And that's a totally different story to tell.
2012: My appendix ruptured. Yeah, yeah whatever, Peri! That happens to so many people. You're fine, right? But what you probably don't know, I truly should have died. Most people die within 3 days of their appendix rupturing. Doctors didn't know mine had ruptured until 9 days after, and I had developed an abscess the size of a softball that prevented my appendix from being removed for another 5 days. I was in and out of the hospital. Multiple drains to remove multiple abscesses. A month's worth of school work to catch up on. Etc, etc.
2013-2014: This was one the hardest years I had academically. I guess that’s not a big deal to you, but we’ve all been there. I spent many nights in tears trying to understand and finish hours upon hours of homework. In my math class specifically, I really struggled. I was still playing catch up from the year before.
2015: This was actually a pretty great year in the beginning. I had some great new friends. I was thriving in choir and in theater. I truly was enjoying life for what felt like the first time in a long time. But after I graduated high school, the following fall I hit a brick wall. College wasn’t hard academically, but I wasn’t doing what I liked. My friends were either still in high school, or went to a college somewhere else. I felt so alone and lost and confused for the remainder of the year and even through 2016.
2017: In the fall, I transferred to the Academy of Contemporary Music. I did like school, but I still didn’t have friends. I didn't feel like I had a place. And my living situation was not ideal in the slightest. I didn’t feel safe there. It was gross and management was awful. I was feeling very alone and out of place.
2018 started the same as the fall before, but then I moved into a new apartment the next fall with a friend and things felt great. I had made a couple friends at school and I was enjoying myself!
And then 2019 said NOPE. If you have already read or choose to go read my previous post, you’ll learn how horribly the year started and the battles I fought most of the year. This year had some huge ups and downs, and I'm grateful it's behind me.
I know I spouted off a lot of negatives. It’s not any fun to focus on the negatives and I’m sure you don’t care about all of that. The point I want to make is, this decade, on the surface, was more than difficult. But in the midst of all the struggle and heartache, there was so much good.
I had so many amazing friendships. Some of those have grown apart, but some have remained. There are new ones too.
My family overcame a LOT, but we’re stronger and closer than ever.
I started dating a really amazing guy, and we celebrate five years together today. He's my best friend.
I was given so many wonderful opportunities.
I participated in so many choir events and was able to travel to some really awesome places.
I was in a wonderful youth group and had the opportunity to be a worship leader and minister to many young girls. I was able to lead worship at youth camps and travel many cool places.
But ultimately, God was faithful. In all the ups and downs, He never left me. This decade held good, bad, ugly, great, happy, sad, joy, tears, and everything in between. I'm sure this next decade will hold plenty of highs and lows as well. That's just part of life! However, no matter what life may hold in the days to come, I know God is going to take care of me. He won't let hard situations go to waste.
I hope you can look back on the years behind you with a smile. Don't hold onto the bad. Be thankful for the lessons learned and the great things you may have experienced. And I hope you can look forward to the next year and the decade before us. If you're anything like me, looking that far forward can seem a little stressful and overwhelming. So let's work together to just be in the moment. Let's enjoy the little moments of every day before us and take it all one step at a time. The Lord has taken care of me thus far, and I believe He will continue to carry me through everything I will face in the days to come. I promise He will take care of you too.
Happy New Year, friends! Make this year the best one yet.
"'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.'"Jeremiah 29:11
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