Cheers to 21!

This year on December 5th I will be turning 21. This is something that I have been looking forward to for a long time, not just for recreational purposes (lol), but I’m excited and ready for what’s next. I remember crying on my 20th birthday from the thought of knowing I was in my twenties now. At the time, the thought of becoming an adult scared me a little and I just didn’t feel prepared for the season I was walking into. Well, a lot has happened since then and I’ve grown so much. Being that my birthday is the last month of the year, I thought it would be cool to go down memory lane and reflect on this past year. 

Here I was, December 31st, sitting on my couch thinking and looking forward to what the new year could possibly have in store for me, and to say the least nothing happened how I thought it would happen. I was browsing on youtube and seen that Pastor John Gray New Years Eve church service was going live, so I tuned in. Needless to say, the church service was definitely moving and was what I needed to hear. He declared in his sermon that 2019 will be the year of “reset.” A few days later, I watched Pastor Micheal Todd’s new sermon series, and he declared that 2019 will be the year of “release.” At the time, nothing was more appliclicable to my world than these messages. I didn’t know it at the time, but 2019 was my year of reset and release. I took a semester off from college, stayed at home, and worked. If you know me, you know that it was rough and nothing was adding up. Mentally, January through May was frustrating, just not knowing what was next for me, and my patience was tested to the utmost. Through it all though, I knew that God would make a may out of no way for me, and he did, it just required trust and patience. 

So, here I am sitting at the school that I wanted to be at, surrounded by individuals that I can relate to and connect with, and taking in every opportunity that comes my way. It has not been an easy road, and I wish I could say it’s going to get easier. From self to self, I am proud of who I am becoming. Leasing my first apartment, to working 2 jobs while a full time student, has matured me in many ways. I’m figuring out my passion and what I want to do moving forward. It feels good–I feel good. I gained some sense of independence and identity, especially being 4+ hours away from home (even though I still call home and beg from time to time). To finally having secure friendships and making new friends along the way feels even better. I can say that I feel at peace, no matter how hard it gets, because trust me it’s been real rough out here. Somehow, I manage to get out of my feelings and pull it together through prayer, writing, working out, and relationship building.

All I can say is “You go girl.”  So, CHEERS TO 21!!! Can’t wait to see what it has in store for me, besides legally drinking mimosas (lol). 

Take some time to reflect on the year that you had walking into 2020, and remember to show yourself some love from time to time and give yourself a pat on the back. Regardless if you think 2019 was trash or the best year ever, all I can say is “You Go Girl!”