“Joy does not simply happen to us. We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day.”
Henri J.M. Nouwen
Joy
For the past couple of years, I have chosen a “word” and tried to focus on it throughout the year. My word for 2022 was “joy.” I have actually spent a lot of time focusing on finding joy this year even though there have been some really rough patches this year. Like the quote above, I have found that to find you, you have to choose it on those hard days or at least through the tough times. I chose the bonfire image to symbolize the tough times, but it was a joyous occasion when we burned that fire (our family Halloween celebration).
Changes
You know what they say, there is a time for everything. Early this year, I was asked if I was interested in doing a temporary detail into a Regional USFS position (Threatened, Endangered, and Sensitive Species Program Lead). After much thought, I decided to go for it! After a few months in the temporary detail, I was officially offered the position and I accepted it! It was hard leaving the National Forest I had spent the last 13 years on – both as Forest Wildlife Biologist and as Collaboration & Planning Staff Officer. This wasn’t a promotion, I stayed at the same pay grade – without supervision. A step back from FS leadership but still a position with collaboration and leadership skills necessary.
I restarted this blog again in 2022 after barely blogging these past few years. The restart was part of an experiment I am not going to go in to, but it was semi-successful! Looking forward to many more changes next year.
Spiritually, I have done some growing as well. I have blogged about this a little, but more is going on inside of me and I suppose that is where is all starts, right? Hopefully, the youth group I lead, is benefitting from this growth – and maybe it is expanding outward too. Letting the light shine, if you know what I mean. Jesus has been there for me, that’s for sure and my guardian angel has most likely worked overtime for me.
Loss
This year has been a time of loss too. One of my employees passed away early this year. She was so young and such a sweet person. Cancer sucks. It was so devastating to all that worked with her and of course to her family. It was heartening to see her friends and co-workers rally together to send her care packages while she was in the hospital and to see them again rally to pack up her apartment with her parents. Kathryn, you are missed.
We also lost my father-in-law this month. Losing family during the holidays is hard. Lucky was a lifelong conservationist, avid tennis player turned official, fisherman, husband, dad and grandpa. He fought a terrible battle with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. I can’t imagine the pain he was in before his passing. I am grateful for the hospice service that made him a little more comfortable in his last days. He will be very missed.
Trips
This year has been filled with travel for me! Most of it was work related but there was some pleasure travel as well. I went to South Dakota this year for a conference at Custer State Park. I was able to visit Mt. Rushmore on the way there. The buffalo up close at CSP was such an awesome experience.
The big family highlight was a big trip to Cape Cod. We went there for a Family Adventure Cycling tour of the cape! We rode our bikes on the Cape Cod Rail Trail and along the National Seashore. Brian did about 100 miles, Brayden and I did about 85 miles. It definitely pushed my limits but it was so worth it. We camped the entire way out there and well we did get a couple of hotels on the way back. I think my favorite state we camped in was Vermont. It was beautiful there! On the way back home, we also stopped in Pennsylvania and saw my dad and brothers. That was a visit way overdue.
I took a couple of work trips to Wisconsin, one at the peak of fall colors which was pretty great. A work trip to Florida rounded out my work travel. Orlando in November isn’t a bad time to go! I went a day early and got to spend a half day exploring Universal Studios by myself. Of course, I had to go to the Harry Potter world. Also got to go to a nature preserve that The Nature Conservancy manages. It was beautiful.
I am looking forward to the new year. What was your favorite part of 2022? Let me know in the comments!
Peace.