@mirakemppainen
Hello dear reader,
I hope you are well (and warm)–the cold is definitely here to stay for the season. But it brings with it a brand spanking new year!
Every Friday, I congratulate our weird internet friends for making it through the week. But to have made it through the entire year, in a pandemic no less, well, that calls for a big celebration!
So, dear reader, congrats! You made it. Way to go. Another year under your belt, which means another year’s worth of wisdom and likely a hefty dose of resilience to boot. If you came out of 2021 a little banged up, dust yourself off. If you came out unscathed, go you!
Either way, congrats. You made it.
And also, congrats to me! This month I have been married to my husband, Ryan, for 17 years. SEVENTEEN YEARS! What a journey it has been! How lucky am I? When the season changes and the snow starts to fall, I can’t help but feel nostalgic and reminisce about our wedding. After all, it all took place during one of the most epic snowstorms. Flights were grounded, roads were undrivable, heels were swapped for boots–the conditions were insane. But everyone was determined so resourcefulness and resilience lead the way, and we did it!
And, oh, what a night it was!
Every January, I pull out our wedding album so we can remember the madness and joy that took place the night we got married. The pictures of my fur boots beneath my wedding dress and the blustery city streets of Chicago’s South Loop always bring me right back to that night.
Everything was so chaotic that it was impossible to get the pictures we had planned to take with the photographer, so what we have is the best we could get, which was a lot of candid photos; and for that, I am forever grateful. We weren’t even aware when a lot of the photos were taken and so they’ve truly captured and memorialized us on one of the happiest nights of our lives.
We are so set on achieving perfection and creating the highlight reel photos, we often forget to actually be in that moment, even when it’s wild and unplanned.
Every time I look at our album in January, it’s a reminder to reset my intentions–to really live in those poignant moments and take mental snapshots and save those images in the albums in my mind and heart.
This is your chance to fill the pages of your own albums.
Look around you. Pause. Acknowledge all that you have to be grateful for and make an extra effort to mentally highlight the things you want to remember, forever.
Stop and be sure to take that snapshot. The memories last a lifetime.
Happy New Year and stay cozy,
Michelle
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