Last Sunday of 2012

By Jennifer Debenham

Does anyone else feel like life is FLYING by? And besides that, I was getting REALLY good at typing 2012. I don't even have to look at the keyboard. My finger memory has that one down.



Our family in Washington at the beginning of 2012

It's pretty hard not to become a bit contemplative when the year draws to a close. The death of the old year and the birth of the new carries with it memories of the past and thoughts of new beginnings.

What do I want to accomplish this year? Whom do I want to be? And how do I become that person?

Where will the new year take me? Or, perhaps better, where will I decide to go this year?

2012 moved me and my family across three states, leaving cherished friends behind, but allowing me to strengthen bonds with family members that we now live closer to. It was painful to see my two teens and a tween struggle with the harsh adjustments of moving (which was the hardest part of the move for me). Yet we have grown closer as a family, and that's a blessing that could only come from that particular trial. So no go-backs!

I wonder if I'll feel the same about the changes 2013 will bring (that's soooo not as easy to type!).

In 2013, I'll mark three major milestones in my life. In April, I'll celebrate 20 years of marriage with my soulmate. Hard to imagine when I still feel like a newlywed at times. In June, I'll say "good-bye" to my first child as he graduates high school and prepares to serve a mission. (Can't hardly think of it.) In November, I'll turn 40. (Don't want to think of it!)

Our family in Nevada at the end of 2012

All these milestones make me think of what I want to accomplish too. When I was that girl of nineteen, planning my future with my soon-to-be hubby, did I imagine my 20-year-older self to be the way I am now? Not hardly. I don't think my imagination was that good. And my vision certainly wasn't. While some things have fallen short of my plans, my Father in Heaven has had plans for me I didn't anticipate. And just like the move to Nevada brought unexpected blessings, so has my unexpected life. In those areas that I am better than I imagined, I thank my Heavenly Father for his numerous lessons. In those areas where I still fall short, I recognize my need to improve and make some of those nineteen-year-old girl dreams a reality!

In keeping with that thought, last Sunday, the second-to-last Sunday of 2012, we revisited President Uchtdorf's talk "Of Regrets and Resolutions" in our Relief Society lesson. I'm linking it here as a little Last-Sunday-of-2012 treat.

Happy Reading. Happy Writing. And . . . I'll talk to you NEXT year!