The Good Times Don’t Last Forever, But Neither do the Bad

I spent last New Year’s Eve drinking chocolate martinis and crying.

My hubby and I had flown back from our home state of New Jersey back to San Diego a few days before. I would have preferred to ring in the new year with everyone, as we had the year before at our wedding rehearsal dinner. But we had to come back to San Diego soon after Christmas because Adam was about to deploy the next week and had to work. He was working like crazy right before the deployment. In fact, he worked on New Year’s Eve, came home exhausted and worn out, and passed out really early in the night.

I was coming down from my high of being around my family and friends for the holidays. Don’t get me wrong, I love my life in SoCal as I did back then, but I always feel a bit bummed after going from being with everyone to traveling back to a place I adore but know less familiar faces. It was tough because not only did I just say goodbye to my family and girlfriends, but I was about to part with my Marine once again for another deployment. So instead of bringing in 2012 with celebration and happiness, I was feeling sorry for myself in my martini-induced haze.

With my siblings on New Year’s Eve in 2010

Though I didn’t feel it at the time, 2012 would turn out to be a fabulous year for me. As I write this blog post today, I’m sitting in my parents’ house where I grew up, ready to celebrate the New Year with my family and the love of my life by my side. While this New Year’s seems more joyous in a couple of ways – including the fact that I don’t have a looming deployment to think about – I’m reflecting on what got me through that deployment pretty damn well. I kept a positive attitude and continuously reiterated this idea in my head: The good times don’t last forever, but neither do the bad times. It reminds me that nothing in permanent, things are always changing. I’m thankful for the lows, because they make me really savor the highs. I think the best way to live life to the fullest is to remember that things aren’t always going to be amazing, but then there are those times when things seem simply great. If you can just push through the shaky times knowing this, you’re bound to come out on the other side.

So as we ring in 2013, I hope that you’re thinking about all of your blessings and looking forward to a new year with great aspirations and a positive mindset. If you’re happy and in a good place mentally, remember to savor it. If you’re struggling with your current situation, remind yourself that it won’t last forever.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!! 🙂