2023: A Year in Review in Exactly 365 Words

A monthly snapshot culminates in learning how to hold both / and

January: Waterlogged

“I’ve already cried every day,” I declare between sobs. “This year is going to be terrible!” It’s January 10, and I’m waiting to schedule the insurance adjuster to determine if we’ll be reimbursed for water and mold damage following The Great Freeze.

February: Freedom

I celebrate turning 35 with a ski trip. With wind on my cheeks and sun winking off snow, lyrics swirl in a poem about what freedom feels like.  

March: Risks

My husband signs paperwork to incorporate our new business. I fight imposter syndrome and commit to writing monthly poetry with Part-Time Poets.

April: Rest

Saturday Sabbath, a new family rhythm, reminds me rest is good, and I don’t have to earn love with productivity. 

May: It was rare, I was there, I remember it all too well

I ride an emotional and physical roller coaster in a pink sequin dress under my clear poncho with fellow Swifties during a 4-hour thunderstorm delay in Nashville. The next day my feet ache from dancing, and my voice is hoarse from screaming / singing. 

June: Pain 

My lumbar spine MRI report states “severely herniated disc at L5, S1.” I spend most of my time horizontal on the couch, my only pain-free position. 

July: Pain  

Time in Michigan nourishes my soul and almost destroys my body.

August: Surgery 

Can you be excited about surgery? Unable to sit, play with my children off the couch, or shower without pain, it’s clear I’ve made the right choice. The microdiscectomy is a success! Preschool for my kiddos!

September: Recovery

I contemplate my life in cakes and Taylor Swift lyrics after spending a long weekend with fellow creatives in Chicago. Join Birmingham Mom Collective as a guest Writer. 

October: Celebration

I graduate from physical therapy, return to the Peloton bike, and celebrate my husband’s birthday in New York City.

November: Hands-Free 

I change my last diaper and gape when I take the preschoolers to the dentist carrying only my purse mere weeks later.

December: Reflection

In our Christmas card, I write: “2023 held both joy and sorrow; we learned to carry celebration and lamentation simultaneously. Through all the ups and downs, God has continued to show Himself faithful.”

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This post is part of a blog hop with Exhale—an online community of women pursuing creativity alongside motherhood, led by the writing team behind Coffee + Crumbs. Click here to view the next post in the series "365 Words".