2017: By the Numbers

For the second year in a row, my son and I took some time during New Year's to talk about the year we just finished, and the year ahead. We discussed surprises, high points, disappointments, new achievements, and what we would like to do again in the coming year. Last year's conversation inspired this post. This year was no different. And I will be honoring tradition #3 from 2016 by finding a new perspective ... on numbers.

Oh, numbers! What can I say about you? There are the numbers we don't like to discuss, like age and weight. Some numbers we try to avoid, like cholesterol levels. And others we only discuss when it shines a nice light on us, like money. It got me thinking about the numbers in my life. They are up and down the scale, but they played an important part in my life in 2017.

1. 3/17: March 17th we brought Benny home from the shelter. It was a long road to adding a dog to our family. My son had been asking for one for 4 years, but I didn't think he was ready for the responsibility. Also, it had been 11 years (to the day) since my husband's dog, Bugsy, had passed. I had long been resistant to opening myself up to that kind of heartache again. But it had been 11 years, the longest my husband had ever been without a dog, and he was ready. I was ready too, but sometimes I need my husband to point that out. I didn't know our family was missing a member until we brought this guy home. He is such a cuddle bug and always right by my side. Adopting him from the shelter just might be the best decision this family made in 2017.
   

2. Nine: My son turned 9 on May 12th. The last year of single digits! Motherhood is something that continues to inspire, overwhelm, and frustrate me -- and I don't anticipate that changing anytime soon! It's a privilege to watch this little boy grow up. (Well, he's not really little anymore. He stands at 5'1" now!) It's also an amazing and scary time to raise a man. But, I hope, that I am showing my son that gender is simply biology and boys and girls don't have any set roles. Their place is wherever the choose to be.
   

3. 200: On May 21st I graduated from the 200-hour yoga teacher training program at Boundless Yoga Studio. One weekend a month for 10 months I was at the studio with 10 other trainees, immersed in the world of yoga. It is the hardest thing I have done to date. I wasn't sure if I would want to teach after completing the program. (I did.) I wasn't sure anyone would hire me to teach a class. (They did.) I wasn't sure anyone would want to take one of my classes. (They do.) There was a lot of uncertainty, and I make a habit of not getting involved in uncertainty. I like to know the outcome before I start the work. But with the continued support of my family, teachers, and fellow trainees, I made it through the program. Now I can't believe I was ever unsure about it, and am forever grateful to my husband for pushing me to follow a dream.
   
   

4. Two: Remember when I said I wasn't sure anyone would hire me to teach yoga? Well, they did. And I didn't just get one class. I teach two -- Mind Body Meditation at Boundless Yoga Studio and Beginners Yoga at Yoga House. An embarrassment of riches for someone who also works almost 50 hours a week at her full-time job. It's a blessing to be able to roll out my mat in front of the studio every Thursday and Saturday.
   

5. 13: On October 10th my husband and I celebrated our 13th wedding anniversary. For some, 13 is an unlucky number. (Beware Friday the 13th!) But teacher training started the month before our anniversary in 2016, and honestly, I could not have embarked on and completed this portion of my yoga journey without the love and support of my husband. He's my husband and partner. He's my son's father. And he's also my best friend. I can't image this crazy thing called life without him.
   

6. 40: I turned the dreaded 4-0 on November 20th. And let me tell you, dreading it I was! I didn't want to talk about it. I didn't want to acknowledge it. And heaven forbid anyone should say the number aloud! But the thing is, right now 40 doesn't feel all that different than 39. But, I have to admit, it becomes a bit overwhelming to think that I am now in my 5th decade of life. My 5th decade! It's a blessing not everyone gets to experience. And here I am at 40, doing something completely new. This birthday has been a lesson that when something ends, it just made room for something else to begin.
   

7. 58: Fifty-eight is the number of hours of yoga classes I have taught. I know! Say what? I am so grateful for the opportunities that have come my way -- teaching my own classes, subbing others' classes, and even leading my first guided meditation class. And as proud and excited and surprised I am not have my own classes, and I can honestly say I am truly honored and humbled when I am asked to sub classes. I sub the occasional class here and there, but I have also been fortunate enough to sub a class for an extended period of time (3-4 weeks in a row). To know that my fellow teachers trust me and have faith in me to guide their students, to be able to hold that space for them ... it's a moving experience.