Exactly one year ago I was approaching what would have been my 25th anniversary. I was caught off guard while adding an event to my calendar and there it was. That date that had been etched in my mind for years. Staring me right in the face was a huge milestone that I was not going to make. It threw me off course. I wrote about how I spent the week celebrating the fact that I didn’t have to fake it again. It was rough.

Fast forward to today and I just know that this year is going to be different because I’m different. I don’t have any guilty feelings about the end of the marriage. I did my absolute best. Was I perfect? No. Have I forgiven myself. Yes. I had to do that in order for me to move on. Whatever emotions keep circling on you have to be dealt with. This process has been about acceptance, growth and going beyond.

This year has been amazing as I am living with intentionality. Unfortunately it makes some people uncomfortable because the boundaries are set for me. I have said no so many times and it feels good. You can only do that by knowing who you are. Most importantly I have said yes to the good things. I have learned to be spontaneous and it has really paid off. Life can be good and wonderful if you choose.

So next week I look forward to celebrating my Canniversary. It signifies that I can. I can make it on my own. I can heal every area of trauma from my marriage. I can live with an expectation of all that is good. I can make a mistake and forgive myself. I can love myself past all of my flaws. Most importantly I can be settled in ME.

Regina H