The Redemption of Hustle: Reflection

I love the idea of thinking of our hustle (hard work) as a means to do God’s work, to serve His people. Society wouldn’t be able to function if no one worked, if all we did was pray all day long. We work to provide for our families and the work we do more than likely benefits other people, as well. It’s more of a mind-shift. If we can see the work we do for other people, but look at it as work for God (because we’re serving His people), then the word “hustle” wouldn’t seem so bad.

The world loves to praise people who work hard, our country is now working 8am-6pm, instead of the 9am-5pm. We’re working harder, longer. Many companies don’t even offer vacation time. You literally have to work to gain vacation days. Rest, relaxation, vacation isn’t considered a “necessity” by many companies. It’s up to us to take the initiative to rest because even on the 7th Day, God rested. Do we really think we’re better than God? That we need to be hustling harder than God?!

This chapter reminds me that I need to remove the motivation of greed and fame out of my work. The work I do, my purpose/mission, is to help people get healthy. To help people shift their mind-set to feel stronger. To help people feel in community with each other, especially in this pandemic during a time of social distancing when people may be feeling isolated.

My line of work doesn’t really require me to “strive ceaselessly”. I’m a health and wellness coach, so I just bring people along to see what it’s like in the day of what I do. I promote healthy habits, self-care, reading Scripture and gratitude journaling. I’m thankful for this opportunity to work on my self, which in turn (hopefully) helps others live better and healthier lifestyles.

I can’t fail if I’m working for God. Even if my business ceases, I know it’s because there’s something better out there for me. If I am “successful”, then that would mean other people are living fuller lives. Win. Win. Win. I can honestly say I didn’t have this mentality 1.5 years ago right before I started my health and wellness journey.

Colossians 3

I started reading Holy Hustle and WOW! It’s so good! It’s a great perspective on how you can use your hustle for His greater glory. It’s about a “work hard, rest well” mindset.

In Colossians 3, Paul says to “put to death the parts of us that are earthly: immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and the greed that is idolatry.”

We seem to highlight immorality, lust, evil desire and skim over the greed part. In HH, they question are your intentions for greed and fame, or to serve others? Sometimes hustling looks like we’re doing it for the societal definition of success, but if our intentions are to serve God by serving His people I think God sees our heart in it.

It also talks about how you cannot be both greedy and thankful at the same time. If you have those thoughts/intentions, reframe your thinking so that you’re thankful for the work you do. This reminded me when I learned how to reframe my thinking from “I have to _____________ becomes I get to___________”.

Examples: I have to go to the hospital to work a 12-hour shift becomes I GET to work at the hospital to care for God’s people and help provide food and housing for my Family.

I have to wash the dishes = I GET to wash the dishes my dream-come-true Family made from the bountiful food we have stocked in our kitchen.

I have to do tons of laundry = I GET to wash the clothes that keep us warm in clean water that so many others don’t have.

I have to work out becomes I GET to move my body in ways others may not get to.

Writing this reminded me to be thankful. I give thanks every time I pray, but I don’t really sit in my gratitude. I need to remember how grateful I am when I’m actually doing the thing, but I think it comes back to being PRESENT. In order to be grateful for the things I do, I have to be present while doing the tasks and thinking “I get to _________”.

Holy Hustle is so good! I’m only 25 pages in, but already loving it and thinking who I’m going to buy this for. Highly recommend!

June 2018 Review

Wow! This month has flown by! Sorry for the lack of posts, I’ve been using my time and energy towards my resolutions and trying to better myself. Welcome, to the few new followers.. glad to have you!

As far as my June update:

I have NOT been eating better! It pains me to write this, but I’ve been uninspired to cook lately, especially this week. We got take-out or ate at restaurants for dinner every night this week. I’m hoping to kick this, trying to meal plan this week. So yeah, there’s that. It’ll be one year since Dom and I decided to go Vegan (well, mostly Vegan) and that’s huge for us! Hoping to get back on track after this weekend. I got really good at planning things out during May and early June, but the heat and the busy-ness/laziness of spring/summer has snuck it’s way in.

Physical activity has been great these past two months. I started working out right before our California trip mid-April and got back on in May. Then went really strong in this past month. I took this morning off to catch up on here because I keep thinking about writing and updating everyone. My routine is basically wake up around 6:30-ish and get a workout session in hopefully before Nora wakes up. D has been super motivating because he started and finished Insanity Asylum and is now doing some other workout program. Him waking up early before starting work has really encouraged me and help me to get where I am.

Lately, I’ve been able to work out 4-5 times a week which is such an upgrade from zero times a week! I don’t care much for my weight, it’s really just a number on a scale — it doesn’t measure fat, water, or muscle so forget that! I just know what I feel and I feel GREAT! My clothes have been fitting better, I’m loving what I see in the mirror and the biggest reason I even started working out — to keep up with the energy of my 19-month-old daughter.

I’ve been following and using Fitness Blender on YouTube and love their workout videos! Simple to follow, challenging enough for my non-exercising self, and not crazy or distracting. I started with a warm-up video, a 10-minute workout, and then a cool down. Now I’m at 20-30 minute workouts. Proud of how far I’ve come in my fitness journey, hoping to keep it up and staying motivated!

As far as self-care, I’m doing my best to listen to what my body needs. It’s not always easy, as I also have to listen and prioritize what my child needs, but when she’s napping or sleeping, that’s my me time. I’m trying to embrace the few quiet moments I have throughout the day and doing what I need to take care of myself. Self-care is about doing something for yourself. My exercise routine is part of it. Having a smoothie for breakfast is part of it. Napping while she naps is part of it. Watching a RomCom is part of it. I’m feeling more and more in-tune with myself and my body, and happy with it!

I’ve also had several opportunities to catch up with friends the past couple months. Even if it’s not always solo time together, I’m glad I’m able to spend time with my people and that they’re willing to come over and catch up while my daughter’s asleep. This week, I’ll be celebrating my closest friend’s birthday and last weekend I celebrated the bridal shower of a friend from Nursing School. I’m so blessed to be able to see and celebrate these milestones with the people I love! Also, having spent some quality time with my Mama-friend I met at the library. It’s always nice to catch up while we’re with our kids. I can’t tell you how much it helped to have made a Mommy-friend, especially one whose kid is close in age to mine. My heart always feels so full after spending time with her, knowing she gets me and knowing that someone else is going through the things I go through.

I haven’t had too much Family time, with the exception of Father’s Day. D’s parents have always come over once a week to spend time with Nora and after expressing my desire to start a vegetable garden, my Father-in-law has taken Dom and I under his wing and has really helped us turn our backyard/weed-plot into a thing of beauty! I’m so grateful to have him in our lives!

My Mama has spent most of June in the Philippines, and my Dad was there for a couple weeks before her, so we haven’t seen much of them lately, but she comes back today so I’m hoping there will be more family time this summer.

As you already know, my blog life has taken the backseat for the past few months. I’m ok with it, as it is lower on the priority level, but it’s still important to me. I love being able to share my life to anyone willing to read/listen. We all lead important lives! I’m hoping to be able to get on here from time to time, at least once a month, to stay updated with my resolutions. I’m grateful that they’re going so well! Who knew they’d still resonate this strong 6 months later?! Trying to keep accountable!

Mom-Life has been great, it’s easily my number one priority. The past few weeks have been tough, getting this strong-willed little lady to be safe and learn right from wrong. We have our trying times, days/hours/minutes/seconds, but’s it’s flowing along. Lately, she’s been testing my patience, but I’m trying to keep cool as long as I can. I’m also trying to figure out the best way to discipline her. She understands many of the things I say, but also not that much. It’s hard to find an age-appropriate disciplinary action for my almost 20-month-old… any tips would be greatly appreciated!

D and I have been working on our marriage a little bit here and there. It’s definitely a work in progress, but I’m glad we’re both taking the time to work on it. We are still sticking to one date-night a month and catching whatever time away from Nora that we can. She is our life, but we need some Mama-Daddy time, too. Since his parents come to visit once a week, we decided last night to go out to dinner while they’re with her. It was maybe an hour or so away, but it was much needed. And in that little time away together, I already felt more connected to him than I’ve felt all week.

~N

Where did the Time go?

My wonderful readers! SO SORRY for the lack of posts the past couple months… just as you suspected, life happened! After such a long and dreary January, feeling like it lasted months… February, March, and now April seem to be flying by!

As far as resolutions, I still haven’t really worked out. When it gets 40 degrees or warmer, I do make an effort to take Nora to the park.. and most days during the week, we’re out and about. Besides playdates, attending our library playgroup and joining a new playgroup — that’s been taking a lot of my energy during the day! But it’s still something I’m looking into. I’m trying to find workout videos that are about 10 minutes (more or less). I’ve seen a few on YouTube, but I haven’t taken the time to save and remind myself to do them.

I’m still cooking Vegan for me and D, but having 1-3 cheat meals during the weekend. When we do eat out, we try to “vegan-ize” what they have, or have either an egg or seafood with our meal. That’s better than we’ve done! Still a work in progress… D’s a lot better at it, though, which is inspiring!

We finished Lent hosting the Fatima at our home; it’s an image representing our Lady of Fatima in which we pray the rosary every evening as a Family while she’s in our home. It was a beautiful and more intimate way to start teaching Nora about how to pray the rosary. We celebrated a beautiful Easter with our Families.

I’ve been better about self-care, trying to take much needed time for myself. Whether it’s waking up just a tad early to wash up before Nora wakes up, or using her nap time to get on here or write in my daily journal, I’ve been taking more time for myself lately and feeling much more like me. I even started reading again (one of my favorite past times)!

I’ve also taken time to see my wonderful, loving friends. I recently celebrated one of my Nursing schoolmate’s bachelorette party! Grabbed dinner with my other close friends. Hoping to make another date with them this month after we come back from California.

Speaking of California, I’m super excited to get out of the house (away from house work) and into warmer weather! Spring decided it wasn’t ready to hit Michigan yet and I’m hoping we can bring it when we come back! I think it will help refresh mine and D’s relationship, too, giving us some quality family/Husband&Wife time for longer than a weekend.

Glad to be back! Hope you all are doing well! How are your resolutions going?

~N

Terrible Two’s Already?!

WARNING: DO NOT BE FOOLED BY THIS CUTE FACE

Nora is only 15-months-old, but boy oh boy have those “terrible two’s” hit us hard. The past week or so, Nora has really been testing her (and my) limits. She’s doing things she hasn’t done before, pushing boundaries resulting in a lot of “No!”, “Don’t do that!”, “Stop!”. She’s starting to feel guilt because she’ll start to get pouty, with her puppy dog eyes, and come up to me to hug me. It’s kind of cute, I won’t lie, but I’m trying to teach her right from wrong.

Thanks to the handy Wonder Weeks iPhone app (one of the Mom bloggers I follow showed it once), it helped me see that Nora’s currently going through a Leap. It’s a great app, I highly recommend it especially for

new parents! It helps you understand what your child may be going through developmentally and can explain why they sometimes do the things they do.

Nora is currently going through her Ninth Leap, which is supposed to be her first step into the world of principles. The app was explaining that this is a crucial time to start teaching the children rules, not only things they can and can’t do, but that they’re learning social cues as well. It makes sense that Nora just learned to wave hello to people in the past couple weeks. The app also explained that they’re also learning to play with emotions and that they’re learning different orders in which to do things. It helped explain that toddlers push boundaries in order to learn rules, so it’s really a time for lots of patience and understanding, and teaching them the boundaries of other people/things.

Things have calmed down a bit now… I’m slowly learning the boundaries in which I should allow her to explore the world around her and saying “no” to things that are dangerous or could cause harm. I love that she’s curious and observant, I don’t ever want her to lose that because there’s so much in this big, beautiful world to learn!

Have you tried this app before? Did it help explain what your child is/was going through? After watching Black Mirror and seeing the worst-case scenarios for advanced technology, I’m still so grateful for the things that do help me in this parenting gig.

~N

January Review

Hey All!

Thanks for reading my past posts! A couple of you suggested great ideas to blog about my updates at intervals to help me stay accountable for my New Years resolutions.. so here I am!

After New Years, we went back to the grind. D and I have been pretty good about only having 1-3 cheat meals during the weekend, but not more. We’ve been trying to finish leftovers more, instead of wasting food. I’ve been great at cooking ONLY Vegan meals, it’s only when we’re out and about that it can get a little tough. Other than that, I’m happy where we’re at.

As far as Physical Activity, I did Yoga twice in the past month LOL! I’ve really slacked on that. Honestly, I have no idea how you Mama’s do it while staying home with your child(ren). I’m so tired all the time, or just lazy. Half the time I don’t even think about it until after my window of opportunity passes. I’m hoping February I can focus a little more on it. Maybe I just need a reminder on my phone and organize what I want to do certain days so I can put it on the calendar or something.

I’ve definitely focused some time into Self-Care. I actually made an appointment and went, instead of cancelling! I’m also about to leave in a couple hours to get a much needed haircut. I think the last time I got a cut was last spring/summer? I’m hoping to get a massage sometime in February. Now that Nora’s 23.5 lbs, my body aches after holding her — it doesn’t help that she’s been wanted to be held a bit more these days, but I won’t say no to that, either.

I got to meet my close friends for brunch last weekend in Birmingham, at the Mad Hatter Bistro. The food was fabulous, I just love a themed restaurant. It was refreshing to be out in the world and see my people. It always fills my heart ❤

I’ve also made it a point to see more of my family and reach out to make sure we try to get together. My younger brother and his wife are due to have their baby soon, so I know that’ll call for a lot more family time. My older brother has been coming over once a week so can we sit down to dinner and catch up on life. It’s been nice to have him back in my life. It’s not like he ever left, but we just never took the time to reach out to each other and I’m glad we’ve been able to reconnect. I’ve always been closer to my younger brother (we’re closer in age), but that should stop me from reaching out. I also want to raise Nora knowing how important Family is.

Blogging seems to be going well, per this post! I have a few posts started, but not finished. I’m hoping to be able to post at least once a week, but I’m taking my time getting to that goal. Maybe once every two weeks for now?

There was a couple days this past month that our internet was out and we had to wait for a service person to come out and take a look at it. It was a little nice to disconnect from the internet for a little while. It allowed me to try to be creative. Nora and I definitely played more. I introduced her to old DVD’s we have. She really enjoyed the dance movie we watched. Today, I let her play upstairs since we don’t really have a TV available for us to watch. It was kind of nice to not watch anything. I’m also trying to plan things to get us out of the house more so we don’t fall back into TV watching mode.

Marriage-wise, we were able to get out of the house after dinner to watch Star Wars while my Mom babysat. It was much needed! She also babysat when Dom and I went to meet up with my friends for brunch. It’s really nice to be able to get out the house with Nora for a little while. I think we’re able to remember who we used to be a little more when we’re not in parenting mode.

As far as January’s goals, I think it went pretty well for my first month! There is always room for improvement and I’m glad I have this blog and you wonderful readers to help keep me accountable!

How are your goals/resolutions for the year coming along?

~N

Shipt!

We recently decided to try out the Shipt program. It’s an program that you pay a yearly fee (we got the $49 deal, but it’s typically $99) and basically someone does your grocery shopping and brings it to you. Since Dom works Monday through Friday, and used to have Drill one weekend a month, we felt like our Family time was limited. We disliked the fact that grocery shopping over the weekend was chaotic and took so much time since it seemed everyone was shopping for the week. We’ve also heard of recent local news where women/children have been in attempted kidnappings and both Dom and myself didn’t want me shopping alone. I didn’t want him to go alone because he’d pretty much have to FaceTime me the whole time asking if he got the right thing or not!

After having my first Shipt shipment brought to our house, I was saddened I hadn’t done it sooner, especially after having Nora. I think it’s absolutely great if you’re limited on Family time and/or don’t like grocery shopping. They hire local residents who seem to have flexible schedules. So far, I’ve only encountered women shoppers, some who have told me are Mom’s, and get the best produce when I order it. I was nervous we wouldn’t get the best produce, but I was proven wrong and glad about it! Sometimes I’ll cut my grocery list in half and get two shipments a week so the produce is more fresh and isn’t just rotting away in the fridge or countertop.

You order straight from the Shipt app on your phone or on your account online if you’re using the computer. They also allow you to tip and anonymously rate your shopper on the app. If you spend over $35 in items your shipping is free, otherwise it’s a $7 shipping fee on top of what your grocery items cost. You just have to make sure you’re home to receive the items, as they won’t leave it on your doorstep. If you have any issues, like a wrong item, you can also report it on the app. Shipt will refund you the money in credit that you use toward your next purchase.

It’s helped me tremendously these past few weeks! I’ve only taken Nora once on a solo big grocery shopping trip and was so cautious, always looking over my shoulder and trying to rush out. It left me super anxious and exhausted by the time I got home. I’m grateful to have one less task off my list. I’m more grateful to have more Family time that doesn’t include crossing things off our task list.

Is Shipt in your area? Have you tried it yet? What are your likes/dislikes about it?

~N

New Year, Better Me

I’ve always been one to believe in the power of change, especially at the new year. I know people say, “come February, you’ll probably stop doing your NY resolutions”, but I still think it’s important to make. I try to make “resolutions” (aka GOALS) throughout the year, but what a better way to start a new year than with a list of goals! These are my goals for 2018:

1. Eat Better

D and I started transitioning to a Vegan lifestyle since last July and have been able to keep it up, giving ourselves a cheat meal/day for special occasions (weddings, family parties, holidays, etc.) Unfortunately, Thanksgiving and this past Christmas has deemed the lifestyle rather difficult. It’s been tough because I’m torn between not wasting food, but not trying to eat meat and dairy all week. When I ate meat and dairy for about a week after Thanksgiving, I felt horrible inside. I was bloated, I had the worst PMS symptoms since we started going Vegan, and I felt very sluggish. This upcoming year, I want to make it a goal that if we do cheat, to only cheat for a MEAL and not a day or a week. I want to be a better Vegan.

2. Physical Activity

I barely worked out since having Nora last year. I surprisingly jog/walked a 5k over the summer, and would occasionally do a speed-walk/jog on that track with Nora over the summer, but since the weather cooled down I used it as an excuse to slow down. I have these Yoga DVD’s I’d love to get into. I want Nora to see me working out, the way she sees D working out, and learn that from me, as well. Monkey see, Monkey do. When spring/summer hits, I want to take more walks/jogs. I want to take her to the park more, and get her enrolled in swimming classes. I want 2018 to be more active for us as a Family!

3. Self-Care

I want to take more time for myself — getting routine haircuts or monthly massages. I want to actually read a book from start to finish. I started getting into skin care products in the past few months and finally found a routine that works for me and makes me want to get up in the morning! I want to get all my routine check-ups (physicals, Pap smears, dental and eye visits, etc.) done, aside from all of Nora’s. I felt like 2017 focused on all of her check-ups (because there were SO MANY!!), and not really on my own. I need to do better than that, I need to make sure I keep myself in check so I can be the best for myself and for my Family.

4. Friends

I won’t lie, I’ve been such a terrible friend ever since Nora was born. Adjusting to all the changes that come along with being a new Mama, on top of being exhausted ALL the time, has definitely made me a homebody trying to get rest whenever she’s resting. But now that Nora’s a year old and on more of a “schedule”, I’ve been able to get more rest and it’s become a lot easier to manage my time. Now that I’ve been at the Mama-gig for a year, I feel it’s time to go back into the world and try to be a better friend. I want to reach out more often to my friends and try to have a get-together with them at least once a month. I feel like I’ve seen them once a season, if that even, since Nora was born and I can’t blame anyone but myself.

5. Family

The past few months have opened opportunities to get closer to my older brother and I’ve been very grateful for the time we’ve been able to spend together and catch up on the past few years. I’ve always had a close relationship to my Family, but I’m hoping this year I can continue to work on my relationships. My younger brother and sis-in-law are expecting in February and we’re all looking forward to it! I’m already excited for their baby to grow up a little so Nora can have a play-mate while she waits on me and D to have her sibling, haha… in due time.

6. Blogging

I want to write more. I had a Live Journal that was more of an online, but personal journal and I stopped writing as much as I used to. Since starting this blog a few months ago, I’m hoping I can really use it for this new chapter in my life as a Mom, to connect to more of you and hopefully get your thoughts, feedback, and advice.

7. Mom Life

Don’t get me wrong, I feel like most of this year has had a ton of focus on caring for Nora. I still can’t get over how much changes occur within that first year of life!! But now that I’m a year in and we’re on a little bit more of a schedule, I feel like I can really start to hone in on my Mothering abilities. One of the bigger things I’m hoping to do this year is to disconnect a bit more from my phone while Nora’s awake. I won’t lie, I have the television on a lot… I’m bothered when it’s too quiet. Half the time we’re watching things I know Nora isn’t going to really focus on, so she does other things; it’s more for background noise. But I know that’s something I want to work on, as well. I want to read more to her and interact more with her during playtime. I want to continue teaching her to be kind.

8. Wife Life

The biggest goal I want to focus on is my marriage. People tell you having a kid changes things, but I don’t feel like they tell you how. The first half year of Nora’s life was awesome, but very challenging marriage-wise. It just took us a while to figure out how to still focus and have time for our marriage when we’ve been so busy adjusting to our new roles as Mom and Dad, adjusting to being exhausted at the end of the day. Once we got in the swing of things, it helped us get our groove back, but I know there’s more that we both want. I want to go on a date at least once a month, that’s been a struggle for us. I want to work on my communication with D. I want to hold hands more, now that Nora’s walking. I want to be more present when I’m with him.

It’s definitely a laundry list of things. I feel like I’ve already started working on these things the past couple months, so I’m hoping to continue reaching towards these goals. I know it’s a lot about balance. I’ve got a positive outlook for this upcoming year. There’s been so many big changes in the last few years and it’s been exciting to look forward to each new year.

What are your resolutions? Any tips to keep me motivated and keep me going?

~N

First(-ish) Christmas

Last year was technically Nora’s first Christmas, but this year was a lot different now that she’s a whole year older. I felt like she was really able to enjoy the company of our families. It’s always heart-filling how much you can physically see the love your family has for your child. D and I are so blessed to have such a loving family.

This year, we were able to host Christmas lunch with D’s side of the family. I always love hosting, no matter how stressful it is! I love when our home is filled with loved ones. Added bonus: I LOVE how clean the house is afterward, as well! Seeing Nora’s face light up as she got to play with her cousins was awesome to experience. I know she longs for little people friends and I’m glad they got to spend that time together.

After her nap, we went to my parent’s Christmas Pajama Party. An even bigger, louder bunch! It definitely is a Filipino party on my Mom’s side. I love how (almost) comfortable she is with everyone. She’s so social, I wonder where she gets it from? Hmmm…. lol

All-in-all, this year’s Christmas was awesome! We also put up our first Christmas tree. It was fun decorating the house, which was mostly for Nora. Even if she didn’t notice, it was nice to really feel the magic of Christmas. I know as she grows older, she’ll get to enjoy even more, but it was nice to see her curious face in wonder of everything that was happening around us.

We love our little girl so much as can’t wait to teach her all the wonderful things about Christmas, most importantly that we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

How was your Christmas? What Christmas traditions do you have? We’re still trying to figure out what ours are, but hopefully we’ll get more of a groove going next year!

~N

One Year!

We celebrated Nora’s First Birthday last month and it had me emotional the days leading up to it. I still can’t believe she’s been in our lives for ONE whole year, yet at the same time, I can’t even remember what life was like before her (I write that as I dream of a time when I was able to leave the house in under 5 minutes, doing whatever whenever, waking up early on weekends because I naturally was used to it, etc etc.).

It’s amazing to see the transformation a human makes in just one year in life, especially the first year. Don’t get me wrong, we’re constantly growing and evolving, but that first year of life has the quickest and most growth I’ve witnessed. From her eating, napping, pooping cycle to crawling and starting solids and currently walking (nearly running) and being a foodie who likes to feed herself… I watch in awe of every little thing she does because just a few months ago we were napping together every 3 hours, I was waking up anywhere from 2-4am to feed her and change her diaper.

Now she’s feeding herself, almost annoyed if you try to feed her. She knows how to open up her straw sippy cup and holds it to her mouth to drink. She’s starting to learn how to put her mega blocks together. She loves to open up her book and look at the pictures and cuddle up to her soft stuffed animals. She’s always in awe of the bubbles at Baby Lapsit time at the library with her teacher, Ms. Carolyn. She also walks up to Ms. Carolyn while we’re in a circle, gives her a hug and sits down on her lap. She also started sharing her snacks with others.

I love how much she’s grown and excited to see the person she’ll become, but I wish time could slow just a little bit in the grand scheme. I’ve heard that phrase, “the days are long, but the years are short” many times, but it’s true and makes my heart ache a little. This is Motherhood. I cherish everything as much as I can, yet I’m excited to see where she’ll be when she’s 3, 5, 16, and 20 years old. I’m most excited to see the person she’ll become, her personality. Will she be sassy? Will she be compassionate? Most importantly, will she be kind?

She’s only one, but I’m already trying to instill kindness in her. I think it’s one of the most important traits to have, especially in the world we live in today. I’m hoping if she’ll learn to care for others and think about others’ feelings before she says/does something, she can change the world.

My dear Nora, I wish you joy, success, and love… so much more love in the upcoming year.

~N