This year is quickly coming to an end. Lots of things happened in this year. Some good friends lost their family members. They made me appreciate having a healthy family. Some good friends have had new babies or started new jobs. I celebrated new beginnings with them joyfully.
For myself, there are three highlights I would like to share with my readers. First of all, I published my first book in October to promote a vision. I learned about self-publishing. I love writing, and I have always wanted to publish books. With this experience under my belt, I am looking forward to many more.
The second highlight for me was leaving the security of a company that I worked for 16+ years and moving into entrepreneurship full time. I had mixed feelings about the leave. At the time, everything that was happening pointed me towards this new path. I am learning to trust this process. I continue to be amazed at how courageous entrepreneurs are and how much we love to learn in order to realize our visions.
The third highlight was that my youngest child graduated from college and became a 7th grade teacher in New Orleans. When I visited her, I experienced the generosity and authenticity of the people in that city. They are resilient. They continue to re-build their hometown after Katrina. My daughter was hired in a charter school in one of many impoverished communities in the city. The teachers there were inspiring individuals who work very hard to provide the best education to their students. It’s this “light” of humanity that keeps communities strong. Teach for America is one of the organizations contributing to the “light” and providing opportunities for both new educators and underserved students. I salute the organization and all of the teachers striving to uphold this mission.