Last year when I wrote my preview post, I was in a much different place in my life than I am now. I was in the thick of breaking myself down to the core. Now, that core has been reinforced and all that I am radiates from it and becomes again. This new me.

2016 was the year of me understanding my capabilities. It was the year of me bleeding all of my blood onto the ground and letting it soak in and feed these new roots.

From these roots came me, my child, our new life.

This year I stood before a judge and said, yes, we are breaking apart what no man can put asunder. We are humans and we are doing what only God can do.

There is a great deal of pain in admitting your failure.

What a lifetime of writing has taught me is that failure means learning and I am determined to learn from this one. As I have.

In 2017,

I will continue to raise my child up in every way–physically, emotionally, spiritually.

I will turn 50 and have a colonoscopy.

I will trust my intuition (that voice inside you speaks to you for a reason. Never stuff it down. Peril awaits you if you do).

I will turn my face to this broken self and take her in my arms. She needs me and so I will learn to love her in a way that no one else can. I will raise myself up in every way.

You. You raise yourself up. Bring your new self forth into the light of this day and gaze upon her. She is bruised but not completely broken. I see her magnificence.

I see you.