Written by Mary

To 2021 and 2022, to the me’s of the past; present; and future, to all the ugliness and beauty that comes with the transition to a new year, to all the tears that are shed in mourning and healing our past selves to give our future selves a fighting chance at happiness.

To all the smiles that split faces wide open, the cackles at inside jokes that broke the sound barrier, the moments of pure, unadulterated joy that revealed bits and pieces of God’s unconditional love for the world and its people.

To all the silent tears that were shed in secret, the days; weeks; months of bleakness, the growing pains of healing infected wounds, the vulnerability of baring your scars to the world, the gloriously cathartic release of every ache and pang of the year in scrawled, unintelligible loops of writing.

To perseverance, resilience, small moments of courage emerging from a months long struggle for acceptance, love—in all its myriad shapes and forms, the ultimate perfection of God resting inside the imperfections of His creation, the subtle art of resting one’s body and mind without guilt or shame, redefining and expanding the bounds of what productivity means, friends—family—that will never ever truly know they are saviors in disguise, mentors that serve as reminders that there is strength in getting in touch with one’s emotions, memories and experiences that continue to define and shape one’s personality and purpose in the world.

Thank you.

I know I don’t say it often enough, but thank you.

And yes, you heard me right, thank you even to the tears.

Because the tears are as much a part of me as the smiles and laugh lines carved into my face.

To the me of the past year, thank you.

And to the me of this year and every year after—.

I can’t wait to meet you.

Written by Izzy

And so it’s 2022. I’ll admit, this is the most excited I’ve been for any year. This might be me just being hopeful after a hectic, hectic year, but I genuinely feel it. Although I still catch myself thinking 2020 was a year ago, I’m accepting this year for all it has in store. I don’t want to be too critical of my younger self but I never completed any of my resolutions. Like seriously. Not even one? I’d laugh if it wasn’t so true… But that’s beside the point. Looking back on 2021, a lot happened. A lot went on in our world and society, not to mention our personal lives. And it was tough, I’ll admit it. There were some serious downhill moments last year. Truly.

But 2021 was one of the best years ever. Why? Out of all that happened during 2021, why is it the best year? I’ve never grown so much in a year than last year. I’ve realized things about myself, found new passions, and have grown tremendously as a person. Sure, it kinda sucked, but it also didn’t. Or at least, I gained something from those not-so-great moments.

I won’t go into detail about my dreams or my goals for this year, but I think there’s something so special about 2022. Maybe you can tell by my excessive use of the ‘italicize’ button, but I genuinely believe so. I’ve finally realized there’s no better time than the present to actually go after your dreams. I’m getting cheesy (again), but it’s true. I’m finally ready to ‘CARPE DIEM!’ as I’ve always wanted to.

I’ve got a little intermission here before I end this part of the article. I wrote this poem a while ago that seems very fitting for the whole ‘New Year, New Me’ kind of mindset.

TWICE-BORN

if i am the moon and the stars i am broken but healed,

perpetually

i am dawn, creeping, kissing, waking into the sky

i am midnight, aching, reaching, revealing star-hunter.

a bare whisper loves my dichotomy

and:

i am twice-born,

rising from ashes,

burning as light,

struck and sparked like matches

Ta-da! Anyhow…

College applications out of the way (which has been my main stressor for the past few months), I can start pursuing the other things I’ve been wanting to do. Call me optimistic, but this year will be amazing. I hope you guys are as excited as I am, but either way, may this year be. the. best.

Looking forward to writing more articles for you, dear readers, and even more beyond that!