One Thing I Learned in 2022

Life is not a classroom. Some years it’s hard to remember how to breathe, let alone feel like I’ve learned anything new. But every year, if I really focus, I can see I’ve gained a lot of new knowledge. This year was abundant with learning - which means it was abundant with me not knowing enough too. It’s hard to narrow down to the best thing I learned or the hardest thing or anything like that. So I’ll just share the first one that came to mind when I asked myself this question. 

I learned it doesn’t get easier. 

What is it? Well, pretty much anything I thought would become easier with enough time and practice. My motherhood, my adulthood, my hope- no…more like my compulsion to build a career from words. 

Bits and pieces become easier. But those bits then seem to shrink to make room for bigger, harder things. 

I am failing more than I’ve ever failed. And it’s tempting to say something now like, “But I am only failing because I am trying. And when I succeed (and I have had some successes this year), it is because I am trying enough to fail a lot and succeed a little.” 

But that implies there is some kind of formula that…once we all figure it out…will help us thrive. Like for every five (5) Failures, you gain half (.5) a Succeed. And I know that is not true. Because lots of people try very hard and don’t just fail, they are failed. And I think that leads me to 1a of this one thing I learned in 2022.

It doesn’t get any easier. But we require one another to keep it (whatever it is) from being impossible. Your financial support has kept this newsletter from being impossible. In 2023, I am going to keep as many things from being impossible for YOU as I can. Well. As we can. Together.