Well, here we are in the year 2016. I wonder how long it will take for me to stop writing 2015 on everything. I skimmed over past New Year's posts that I had written. The first one was from 2012, which kind of surprised me - I hadn't remembered my blog going that far back. I wonder what else I've forgotten since then. In any case, I've written about past flaws and future hopes. Today I feel compelled to share one simple thing that I would like to see remain the same.
More than anything, I want my family's strength to stay the same. We have had a rough year with many personal changes in it. I just recently moved out of my parent's home into an apartment with my brother, Uriah and my sister, Kerissa. None of us is currently in school (we're on the kind of mandatory break that comes from a lack of funds to pump into tuition). That and many other such things have been difficult commonalities that we find we share. My youngest sister, Ayana is loving on her campus slaying academic life on her full ride scholarship. She made the Dean's List. Again. My youngest brother, Isaiah is a hot mess and the only child at home now. He's a freshman in high school with more talent than he probably knows. My parents each work long days. Stress has run high among us and tensions resulted. Details are not mine alone to share, but I will say the feeling was probably as far apart as we've ever felt. We are a tight-knit family, so this past year was challenging.
Do your family disagreements ever look like this? Ours would if our internal thoughts and feelings were projected outwardly. I'd be the one running my fingers through my hair and screaming.
image via mrwgifs
#ItsAlwaysSunnyInPhiladelphia
On Christmas Eve we all attended service together, which is customary, but was special this year, as we had not been at church all together for sometime. Schedules did not allow for everyone to attend New Year's Eve service together, but that's okay. I was glad to be there myself, although I must confess I had initially contemplated being elsewhere.
I was reminded of why I chose to be in church among believers as the new year rolls in. I was moved by the praise and worship, the message, and especially the testimonies. Those testimonies are reminders of God's power and grace in our lives individually and in this world.
I don't pray as often as I should, but it has been a prayer of my heart that my family find reconciliation in the coming year. Today in the true form of leadership that God intends for a father to hold in his family, my father made the first step in that direction. There was a clean slate and an olive branch presented. Talk about answered prayer!
The family (excepting Ayana, who headed out for an awesome conference this morning) shared in our traditional Haitian New Year's meal, soup joumou. What better way to start the year?!
As we all strive to make personal and other strides in the coming year I hope we'll maintain and grow the strength and unity that God built our family with.
This is one of my favorite family photos. We don't have many family photos, much less candid ones. We're all smiles in a place we rarely visit - the beach. I think this was in 2009 or 2010. I hope this new year will see many moments like this one. #Flashback Friday