As we all shook off our New Year’s Eve sleepiness, I noticed a lot of friends discussing their word of the year. If you haven’t heard about this yet, it basically involves choosing a word that will be your focus for all of 2014. Sort of like a mantra to shape your goals around, only condensed down into a single word.

I really liked this idea, so I decided to try it for myself. Yes, today is January 4, and I’m just now getting around to choosing a word. Not that I haven’t been thinking about it for days. No, I’ve been thinking about it a lot, and have been completely stuck on choosing a word.

I had a list of words, all missing that spark of inspiration I was looking for. At one point, I was looking over my options and realized how insane this was to spend so much time agonizing over a word of the year. I mentally yelled, “ENOUGH!” – and that’s when it hit me.

My word of the year is enough. There are so many ways to interpret this word, and nearly all of them are applicable to my goals for the year.

First, I want to continue the work we’ve done in decluttering the house and reducing what we have. Because we have enough – more than enough, really, and I need to accept that we don’t need anything more. It’s so easy to develop the “wants” when seeing what others have, but will buying more stuff really make me feel better, or will it just contribute to more clutter and distraction? I’d like to be more mindful of my purchases this year, and consider if it’s a necessity, or if I should pass on it because we have enough.

I also want to use the idea of enough to cultivate a greater sense of gratitude. I’m thankful for my husband, for our two healthy daughters, and even for our pets. I’m grateful that our girls are growing up with a lot of extended family around them. We have a nice house, we have good jobs, we have our needs met and the ability to acquire some of what we want. We have enough, and I want to internalize that sentiment deep down so I can truly appreciate all that we have.

At the same time, “enough” can have a more stern interpretation, in the “enough is enough” variety. There are several nuisances that we tolerate because it’s too much time or effort to resolve them. It often takes a lot to push me to take action on these issues, when I should have put my foot down far sooner. There comes a point where you have to stop trying to go around a wall and make the choice to climb over it instead. I need to either change course to combat these irritations directly, or I need to drop them entirely and find alternatives.

I far prefer to live the easier life of following the rules and expecting people to do as they’re supposed to do in their jobs and lives, but I can accept that it isn’t always the case. When that happens, I have to decide that I’ve had enough and take action to change things. I had already started this in the fall with my outrage over the school district, and my feelings towards the district have only intensified. I’m done with bureaucracy and trite statements from those in positions of power that are meant to placate but accomplish nothing. I’ve had enough with the parent almost always being considered the least qualified person in the room to know what’s best for her child’s education. It’s time to advocate for those issues that are nearest and dearest to me.

And finally, I’ve reached a point in my life where I can begin to embrace that I am enough. I don’t need to compare myself to others, wishing I could have their talent, their experience, their looks, because they haven’t been on the same journey that I have, and it’s possible they’ve been through experiences I’m glad I missed out on. Comparing myself to others accomplishes nothing other than making me feel bad about myself, because my inner (high school bitch) critic will never admit to any strengths I possess.

I’m not perfect, or even close to it, I’m quirky, and there are plenty of weak spots I want to strengthen in myself, but I am enough for my family, for my friends, and for my colleagues. And quirky is the new normal.

So here’s to 2014 providing enough for all of us.

Way back in November 2005, I was a mom to one 14 month old girl. Due to work issues, I had switched to a part-time job just so our daughter wasn’t spending her entire time in daycare while we worked. I didn’t have a lot of friends with children, and most of the ones who did lived out of town.

It was because of this that I found support and community in online groups and blogs, nearly from the day she was born. My virtual moms groups helped me get through the early days of parenting without a breakdown. It was through reading the stories that others shared online that I learned important things like Hey, my kid drools like a fountain, too, it’s normal! and Colic gets to the best of us. I’ve felt like abandoning my baby in a cornfield, too. It’s fine as long as we don’t act on it.

The online moms (and a few dads) that I visited each week shared their stories with the world, and I was one of the new parents benefiting from their experience and their willingness to be candid and open in sharing their lives. They were my lifeline.

I was already documenting my life as a new mom online, only not in such a public way. I had a LiveJournal account, that I had opened years before 2005, and used it to write the everyday moments I was experiencing as a mom. But most of our friends weren’t parents, so there wasn’t much advice to be had in that small corner of the internet.

So on this day, eight years ago, I took a deep breath and started my own blog. I had to try a few different blog names before I found one that wasn’t already taken.

One of the earlier headers for my site, when Cordy was still the solo leading lady.

I made the decision to share my story for all. Of course, I figured “all” would be primarily my friends and family, and perhaps a few of the mom friends I had made online. Never did I guess that so many people would come to visit this site just to read about our life! But they have, and I truly appreciate those who stop by and take an interest in my story. Some of it is to help others know that they’re not alone in whatever funny, sad, heartwarming, difficult moments they’re going through, some of it is purely for discussion with the community or getting advice from others, some of it is sponsored to help with the costs of keeping the lights on (but always on topics I’m genuinely interested in).

And some of it is purely for me.  My space to let my thoughts be free on whatever topic is affecting me at that moment, or a way to remember certain milestones or events with Cordy and Mira. The topics have changed as they’ve grown older, and will likely continue to change and morph as we all grow and develop new interests. That’s the fun part of growing – you never stay the same, and growing doesn’t stop when you reach adulthood. In that same sense, this blog is alive and growing along with us, testing out new adventures and trying new things. It’s exciting.

Eight years ago, I could build a website in HTML, but my skills in blog design and coding were lousy. I’ve improved so much since then and even made my own transition from Blogger to WordPress without help, now helping others with basic code issues and changes. In those eight years, I also had a second child, got an autism diagnosis for my first child, picked up a degree and license in nursing, adopted a dog, went back into working in a technical field, where I first started, and celebrated ten years of marriage. It hasn’t been the most easy path, but it’s my path and, like many folks who have had a hard few years, I’ll continue doing the best I can to learn and grow from it.

I’m not sure if I’ll keep the name A Mommy Story forever, since I’m starting to outgrow the label of “mommy” with my own kids, but it’ll continue to be with me for the time being. Or at least until I can decide which name to switch to from the dozen or so domain names I have saved up. I may have a hoarding problem.

But what I appreciate the most about this blog is the community of friends and colleagues I’ve gained as a result. It’s not just a few virtual mom friends. I’ve met many of you in person now, chatted with others in long email threads and text chat, and still keep widening my circle of smart, talented people I’m proud to know. (And for some of you, work with!) I’m not a famous blogger with hundreds of thousands of pageviews each day (more like low hundreds only on an average day), but the people I’ve met as a result of this little blog are worth far more to me than fame.

Today’s my eight year anniversary of starting this blog, and I’d like to just say thank you for reading my often long, ADD-disorganized, not-always-eloquent thoughts. That anyone comes back repeatedly to read what I write (aside from Aaron, who I’m pretty sure is required to under the terms of our marriage vows) is a gift to me. I hope I’ll continue to write things you want to read, and that you’ll grow along with me.