Happy new year!

Yeah, I know I’m a little late. But you have to forgive me. I’ve been setting myself up to properly transition into the next phase of my journey. Getting my ducks in a row, so to speak.

Since my last post, I (like a lot of other people) busied myself with the holiday season.

In just one year’s time, I’d come full circle.

I could remember sitting next to my children as they opened their gifts holding a huge secret. I could recall sneaking around to appointments without them being none the wiser. And now, we all sat around the Christmas tree celebrating the miracle that had occurred this year.

We’d also celebrated my daughter Sydney’s 11th birthday (in pandemic fashion of course). No huge party. Instead, birthday wishes were made while hovering around a mini-Bundt cake. Another milestone for Sydney and for me.

We were among the group of people who prepared for a private New Year’s eve celebration. Small, intimate, with just our immediate family. The only difference is that we’d have a change in scenery. While John house sat our home in Texas (thanks, John), we were off to Cabo.

Now, I know there are a few schools of thought on travel during a pandemic. And I get it. I, too, agree that folks shouldn’t be just traveling and partying in large groups with no care for their health or those who reside in these countries.

Earlier last year, I decided I would reward myself with a retreat after my journey. I’d originally planned to travel to Asia to hop through a few countries, but COVID put a halt to those plans. Nonetheless, a change of scenery was still required after all I’d been through.

Even more than reflection, this trip would be the transition I needed to move forward. The perfect precipice to the building of Tova 2.0.

Before returning to work, I’d spend some time just being. No appointments, no test results, no recovery from surgery. I could just be.

So on New Year’s Eve, we suited up and prepared for a short (and thankfully uneventful) flight to Mexico. As I looked across the horizon at the view from my temporary home, it was confined. This was exactly what I needed.

The words that I’d use to describe what I felt are peaceful, tranquil, serene, and of course, grateful. But apparently, I should also throw the word “tired” in there. Four hours before the start of the new year, I laid down to take a nap. 12 hours later, I awoke in 2021!

But the view was amazing. From where I slept, I looked out the window to where the sky, mountains, and ocean met and could not be more grateful that God saw it fit for me to still be here to see his masterpiece.

January 1, I awoke with a feeling of bliss. It was as if all of the remainder of 2020’s energy was zapped out of me. I was renewed, refreshed, and ready. While my family slept, I had tons of energy. So I decided to go walking. We are surrounded by hills so this wasn’t an easy walk, but it didn’t slow me down.

It was like I was fueled by 2020. I had super powers. With every step, I reminded myself of what I’d just gone through. There was no way a hill would take me out.

Along the way, I’d take a short break and soak in the ever changing view.

The houses became more magnificent, the higher I climbed.

I just kept going. Kept stepping. Kept climbing. And eventually, I made it to the very top. The highest elevation. And the reward was plentiful.

Each morning, I awake to reminder of God’s masterfulness. The view is a perfect reflection of His greatness, but it’s also is a portrait of things to come.

The calmness of the water reminds me everything will be ok. And the mountains remind me that while I’ve overcome a huge challenge in 2020, there are more challenges to come. Challenges that will grow me. Challenges that will make me stronger.

I just need to keep climbing.

T