Reflecting on February

Wow.

JOY: February brought us so much joy. We filled our weekends with family, friends, and activities. It was full of love between the Phoenix Open, the Phoenix Symphony Orchestra, Spring Training, Galentines, and the Super Bowl.

We completed our redecorating, and for now, our house is complete, and we are taking a break from house projects. And while I say that, I know my husband has a project in mind for our spring break, and I have two small projects I want to get done. Working on our physical environment brings us joy.

A considerable part of February was my acceptance into a doctoral program! I am very excited and also nervous. I graduated with my master’s in 2005 (Fun fact, my master’s degree was conferred on my 25th birthday!) That means it’s been…gulp… 18 years since I’ve been in school. Now, I have taken classes since then, but I’ve not been in a program. It will be an exciting move as technology has changed, and I have grown as a learner since my 20s.

SIMPLIFY: I’ve let go of the podcast to simplify my life. Although it brought me so much joy, it’s not something I want to continue right now. In doing this, I free up brain space. I’m working on not having things to do and not filling my life with stuff. I will keep it up for people to listen to, mainly because there are a few hundred downloads a week, and if it’s helping people, then why not leave it? Have you heard the podcast?

STABILITY: We continue to work on our health, wellness, and family structure. Understanding how our family life will change has made us aware of our time together. My husband and I have talked about creating days where they are untouchable each week. One for us as a family and one for him and me. This will likely be fluid as our schedules differ each week, but it will be the first thing scheduled on our Sunday planning days. I’ve received sound advice from a friend that she had one day a week to finish stuff as she progressed through her doctoral degree. She stayed at her office as long as it took to do so. As stressful as this time may be, we have a huge support system ready and able to help us as needed.