{"id":9798,"date":"2019-12-14T15:52:33","date_gmt":"2019-12-14T20:52:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/blissblog\/?p=9798"},"modified":"2019-12-14T15:52:33","modified_gmt":"2019-12-14T20:52:33","slug":"my-end-of-the-year-letter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/blissblog\/2019\/12\/my-end-of-the-year-letter.html","title":{"rendered":"My End of the Year Letter"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/wp-media.beliefnet.com\/sites\/107\/2019\/12\/writinghands.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-9804\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-media.beliefnet.com\/sites\/107\/2019\/12\/writinghands-350x293.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"251\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>I have always enjoyed reading letters sent from family and friends as their year in review and all the (mostly) way cool things they have done. Call it a vicarious ride. I can imagine the pride felt with graduations and performances. I can visualize the places they have been while on the road. I can feel the joy of adventures. Yes, there are also losses and letting go of what they thought the year &#8216;should&#8217; be like and those ought to be acknowleged too.<\/p>\n<p>I love reviewing my own life that way. Alth0ugh I do it every day, going over the events of the day before drifting off into dreamland, it is even more fun to add up the blessings over the 12 months period; even those that don&#8217;t seem that way at the time.<\/p>\n<p>As 2019 comes to a close in a few weeks, I am seeing them before me, some marching, skipping and dancing in delight and some slowly meandering in contemplative mode.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Said goodbye to my dear friend Ondreah Johnson in two memorial services I officiciated.<\/li>\n<li>Found out that I will be a grandmother. My grandbaby is due to arrive in January.<\/li>\n<li>Began writing for several new venues.<\/li>\n<li>Facilitated numerous workshops.<\/li>\n<li>Co-facilitated a 400+ person Cuddle Party.<\/li>\n<li>Met extraordinary people both in person and via social media.<\/li>\n<li>Passed the five year mark post heart attack.<\/li>\n<li>Hugged hundreds (maybe thousands of people) as the founder of Hugmobsters Armed With Love.<\/li>\n<li>Attended four Pridefests in my area and offered <a href=\"http:\/\/www.freemomhugs.org\">FREE MOM HUGS.<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Hugged in front of the White House.<\/li>\n<li>Hugged in Canada.<\/li>\n<li>Was interviewed by major publications about my <a href=\"https:\/\/www.opti-mystical.com\/hugmobsters\/\">FREE HUGS<\/a> mission:\u00a0 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pressreader.com\/usa\/womans-world\/20190819\/281659666653520\">Woman&#8217;s World<\/a>, Woman&#8217;s Day, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Intelligencer, Philadelphia Magazine, as well as various radio shows and podcasts, including The Why on NPR.<\/li>\n<li>Traveled to Canada to visit my friend Shayne Traviss who published his first book.<\/li>\n<li>En route stopped by to stay with Jody Kessler, Doug Shire and their dog Yogi in Ithaca, NY.<\/li>\n<li>Read tons of books, watched numerous videos and listened to bunches of podcasts to inform my writing.<\/li>\n<li>Showed up, stood up and spoke out at various peace and social justice events.<\/li>\n<li>Celebrated the marriage of the daughter of a dear college friend and got to have a fun and frolicing reunion with those who were part of that pivotal time in my life in the 1970s and 80s.<\/li>\n<li>Was in a photo shoot for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/events\/472836689975414\/\">Burlesque in Bucks<\/a> that is raising money for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/FACTsocial\/?__tn__=K-R&amp;eid=ARBGh62wWhP1VeMgxGgsJiTRsc6Kp3qtDfGNdRu7BQ4oIQ3v4zh_p8jiNsnDDaFsxNYhyMz0P75hGQLO&amp;fref=mentions&amp;__xts__[0]=68.ARD-FZhnVNwNE9D7AH2E0ehqnm9vvbxyNxI7OHZPqvivE0N9MAZFKa2-jSua-9auX5aNGU8Sn598DRdzu1QDuiOJShSdHJqcEa4c3EBkjrfc6p1gLuUcDzXqHIhI3LgPjwVzAUdHFmph5kSUDN-7Ky5ZS-ttUeTQUKvxZZJ58jqQuaHN0pIPmYLlJFC1yyBXABEWECFBVsEyECRn9Q\">FACT <\/a>and will be in a fashion show in January.<\/li>\n<li>Had some long needed repairs done on my house, including replacing a door and window.<\/li>\n<li>Aquired some graphic design skills.<\/li>\n<li>Taught mindfulness and yoga for tiny humans.<\/li>\n<li>Let go of some long standing patterns that were no longer serving me.<\/li>\n<li>Came to terms with a major regret and put it in its place.<\/li>\n<li>Willingness to forgive myself for what I can&#8217;t change.<\/li>\n<li>Got hired as a consultant\/social media maven for two local companies.<\/li>\n<li>Saw two amazing concerts, Ringo Starr and <a href=\"https:\/\/goodmenproject.com\/featured-content\/staying-human-wcz\/\">Michael Franti.<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Pitched major publications as a freelance writer. Fingers and toes crossed that they say a hearty YES!<\/li>\n<li>Pitched NPR on a podcast idea.<\/li>\n<li>Released relationships that weren&#8217;t healthy and set boundaries with 0thers.<\/li>\n<li>Saw a few hundred clients in my counseling practice.<\/li>\n<li>Took more naps.<\/li>\n<li>Maintained a fitness routine.<\/li>\n<li>Said thank you countless times.<\/li>\n<li>Had many <a href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/blissblog\/2017\/03\/direct-line-divine.html\">Godversations.<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Looking forward to next year&#8217;s wonders.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp; I have always enjoyed reading letters sent from family and friends as their year in review and all the (mostly) way cool things they have done. Call it a vicarious ride. I can imagine the pride felt with graduations and performances. I can visualize the places they have been while on the road. I&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":233,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,2,13,70,33,41,3532,19,94,4033,26,49,3,22,811,1176,14,25,4,51,16],"tags":[993,2018,5502,4597,2204,5550,5553,5544,5547],"class_list":["post-9798","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-attracting-what-you-desire","category-bliss","category-blissfull-thinking","category-community","category-creativity","category-death","category-edie-weinstein","category-empowerment","category-family","category-fitness-2","category-forgiveness","category-friendship","category-gratitude","category-healing","category-health","category-holidays","category-how-to-invite-bliss","category-hugging","category-inspiration","category-mental-health","category-my-personal-bliss","tag-cuddle-party","tag-free-hugs","tag-free-mom-hugs","tag-hugmobsters-armed-with-love","tag-npr","tag-philadelphia-inquirer","tag-philadelphia-magazine","tag-womans-day","tag-womens-world"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>My End of the Year Letter - The Bliss Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, nofollow\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"My End of the Year Letter - The Bliss Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"&nbsp; I have always enjoyed reading letters sent from family and friends as their year in review and all the (mostly) way cool things they have done. Call it a vicarious ride. I can imagine the pride felt with graduations and performances. I can visualize the places they have been while on the road. I&hellip;\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/blissblog\/2019\/12\/my-end-of-the-year-letter.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Bliss Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/snuggleyoga\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-12-14T20:52:33+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/wp-media.beliefnet.com\/sites\/107\/2019\/12\/writinghands-350x293.png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Edie Weinstein, MSW, LSW\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@EdieWeinstein1\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"My End of the Year Letter - The Bliss Blog","robots":{"index":"noindex","follow":"nofollow"},"og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"My End of the Year Letter - The Bliss Blog","og_description":"&nbsp; I have always enjoyed reading letters sent from family and friends as their year in review and all the (mostly) way cool things they have done. 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She has also contributed to several anthologies and personal growth books. Edie has interviewed such notables as Ram Dass, Wayne Dyer, Debbie Ford, don Miguel Ruiz, don Miguel Ruiz, Jr. Marianne Williamson, Grover Washington, Jr. Noah Levine, Shirley MacLaine, Dennis Weaver, Ben and Jerry and His Holiness the Dalai Lama. She calls herself an Opti-mystic who sees the world through the eyes of possibility. 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