Dear Mississippians,
I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and holiday. This truly is “the most wonderful time of the year,” wouldn’t you agree? From Christmas festivities to winding down and preparing for the new year that is to come, the holiday season is such a fun time for so many of us!
Can you believe we are at the end of the year? I will say— 2023 has been quite a year. It seems to have passed by with the blink of an eye! From belly laughter with loved ones to tears shed secretly, if I could describe 2023 in one word for the state of Mississippi, it would be “forward”.
“Why forward”, you ask? Well, I’m not sure about you all, but I can confidently say that regardless of what obstacles have occurred this year, I’ve witnessed the tenacity of Mississippians all around. I’ve seen many of you experience some rough patches throughout the year. And I’ve seen you make it to the finish line. The strength and endurance I’ve witnessed from you all has been awe inspiring and heartwarming. I could not be more grateful and proud to be a Mississippian. You have pushed yourselves forward, no matter what happened this year!
For some of you reading this, 2023 was your best year yet. Maybe you accomplished a goal that you set at the beginning of the year. Perhaps, you welcomed a new child, got married, or moved into your dream home. To you all, I say “congratulations”! Achieving goals can be quite challenging, but you did it, and you deserve to celebrate your achievements.
On that same note, for others, this year seemed to have issues at every waking hour. Maybe you experienced great loss of a friend, family member, a special relationship, or a job. Perhaps you didn’t achieve a goal you set out to accomplish. To you, I say, “it’s okay”. Sometimes, life happens. This journey is full of vicissitudes and challenges that can sometimes slow things down. On the bright side, a new year is on the horizon!
And then there are those who just had a regular year. Or what I like to describe as “meh”— not good, not bad. And to you, I say, “keep going”. Don’t quit on yourself. Don’t feel bad because you did not do certain things you wanted to do. Celebrate what you have accomplished and anticipate what is to come!
Regardless of which category you relate with the most, we can probably all attest to the fact that this year flew by! As we stand on the brink of a new year, fellow Mississippians, I encourage you to take some time to ponder upon what you are grateful for. On that same accord, ponder on what you wish was different or something you would have liked to change. Although we cannot change the past, and there are many things that are out of our reach, there is something extraordinarily healing about being retrospective and introspective. Each felt emotion, each accomplishment, each loss, etc. are all parts of your phenomenal journey called “life”, and each deserves to be remembered, felt, and celebrated.
Let’s take time to reflect on the year and revisit some of our most memorable moments. Feel free to share a memorable moment in the comment section on Our Mississippi Home’s Facebook page.
Wishing you all a Happy New Year, Mississippi!
