mattnnat

This weekend I spent a lot of time reflecting on life. Where I am now, where I’d like to go and what it will be like to be 85. I spent a lot of time with friends and most of our conversations ended up on this topic. You see, our good friend Shannon lost her grandma on Saturday. It was expected and because she had an incurable cancer that was causing her a lot of pain, it was hoped that she would go before it got any worse.

But here’s the thing that I love about Shannon’s grandma and the thing that so impressed me with my own grandma before she went: they were ready to go. They had lived their lives and stayed joyful to the end and were ready to leave this world.

And that got me thinking again about what it will be like to be 85. To be nearing the end of my time and to be looking back on what I did with my life. I’m no stranger to retirement homes as both of my grandmothers lived in one for the last years they were with us, but every time I visit someone I can’t help but notice the attitude that each of the residents carry with them. You can see it on their faces, the joy, the anger, the sadness, the loneliness, they carry their life experiences with them.

I am most impressed with those that exude joy and gratefulness. It’s so easy to carry our hardships with us, to let the negative things that happen to us determine how we approach our future. But to look back on your life and be grateful for the journey, that’s something to aim for.

So, when I’m 85, regardless of my health or where this journey has taken me, my goal is to be that joyful old lady that has no fear of death and that can pass on that joyful legacy to those that survive me.

Thanks to these ladies that have been such an encouragement to my life.

There’s just something about sitting down to write on a rainy day. I always feel more inspired for some reason. I’m not sure of its because I drink more coffee on days like today or if it’s the dreariness that makes me a bit more reflective but these are always the best days to write.

As Matt and I were talking about 2012, our goals and (mattnnat) as a business we talked a lot about our blog. I wouldn’t say that Matt & I are known for our writing, but we have always been dedicated to blogging each of our couples weddings and telling the story their day. There’s been bits and pieces of work and our lives placed throughout the blog in between the weddings, but this year we’re aiming for more!

One of my personal goals for this year is to become a better writer. It’s something I’ve been thinking about for a long time, but haven’t really pursued. This year is going to be different! I’m going to write more, I’m looking into writing workshops and I’m following a lot more blogs for inspiration.

On top of expanding our writing skills we would love your input! We know there’s at least a few of you out there that follow us and we’d like to know what you’d like to see on here. You’ll still see all of our weddings, hear some personal stories and see pictures of our journey, but what else would you like us to cover? Feel free to comment on the blog or Facebook or even send us an email.

I want to say thank you for following us! We’re really excited for 2012 and all that it holds :) Here’s to new adventures in blogging and in life.