I had a dream last night that I was running a marathon. At first glance, that might not sound pleasant, but it actually was. The running felt effortless, the weather was beautiful, people were cheering me on as I went, and I crossed the finish line to hugs and happy tears from family and friends. I woke feeling peaceful and content.
In many ways, this last year has felt like a marathon to me, but certainly not as pleasant as the one in my dream. Learning how to juggle motherhood and my career has been a balance that I struggled to find. Supporting our child through her health journey has also been physically and emotionally taxing. Yet as 2017 winds to a close, I can't help but reflect on the many positives along this marathon route. I was blessed by the family and friends who cheered us along the way and did share our celebrations with hugs and happy tears. My family is crossing the 2017 finish line intact and well. I can even look back on some career accomplishments in the last year with pride.
2018 feels full of possibilities. Maybe I actually will run that marathon;* more likely, I'll keep working at being the best family physician, teacher, writer, mother, and wife that I can be. I've never been someone before who sets resolutions, but I'm resolving to be more intentional about how I want to experience this next year. I have some goals, too, related to my personal writing and my faculty development interests that I'm pretty excited about.
Bring on 2018; I've got my running shoes ready.
* I've never actually run further than a 10k in my whole life. This particular dream is definitely a bucket list item for me. :)
