Kelly Ann's Blog

You are not the same person you were in 2019 and neither am I.

2019 Started off with so much new and promise. I was closing the storefront and moving into the online and quilt show world. The decision to close the store was not made lightly, I lost my oldest brother Christmas Day 2017 and by the turn of the year I came to realize that I was ready to put the storefront behind me. I pondered all kinds of options and timing…we finally decided to finish out 2018 and 2019 close and move forward.

That year went by…quickly. I had three quilt shows scheduled, two were total bust and that’s when I know that…maybe hauling all the goods in and out of convention centers was not my cup of tea and running my business online would better suit the semi-retirement lifestyle that I looked forward to.

2020 started off with promise. I started walking daily, this was the year I was going to play pickleball, kayak and paddleboard…it was also the year I was turning 60 and we had planned some travel…things were looking up…until….

The finger snap happened…

It was a year of uncertainty…we wore mask, we used A LOT of hand sanitizer (if we could find it), learned to garden, cook, and ponder…lots of time to ponder. We also learned a lot about our neighbors, good and bad, and we changed…we were not the same person in 2020 that we were in 2019.

We waltzed into 2021 with a little hope…vaccines were coming out, people were scrambling to get a shot so we could try and figure out what the new “normal” was for so many of us

Many of us had longer and grayer hair…we looked forward to doing things that felt normal, baseball and travel and seeing more of our friends and family….but something happened in the previous year that no one could have ever imagined…we changed…while we knew we weren’t the same person in 2021 we were in 2019…we couldn’t put our finger on what we were.

Some of us in 2019 were true extroverts…loved to be around people, parties, visiting…and when we emerged two years later, for some of us that had changed. I know that I have changed and it wasn’t until recently, in 2023 that I’ve been able to put my finger on it. I’m more selective about saying yes to meeting up, going out, basically socializing…so you see…I am not the same person I was in 2019 and ya know what…that is okay.

There is still plenty of 2023 in front of us but I am learning more about this new me and I have to say I’m liking her more and more. Some things I let roll off my back, much like water on a ducks back, some things I can’t control and honestly don’t want to. Do I wish that what we all went through didn’t happen, you betcha, but we did, we can’t reverse time, we just pick up and find a new and different direction.

So there you have it…we are not the same in 2023 we were last year, the year before or the year before that. If you can look at the finger snap as a pivot in your life it might make it easier to realize the new you…you too have grown and it is up to you to figure out how…are you the butterfly or the moth…for me…I am the butterfly, emerging and exploring…so much to see…and do…and live…and enjoy!

Until next time

KA