We are calling it the purge of 2017. My sister and I have taken it upon ourselves to throwaway, donate, and minimize the stuff in our lives. Boxes of toys, clothes, household items, and random things that we’ve collected through the years have been piling up and it’s time to get rid of them.

As I stubbornly get rid of things that I might use someday I realized that there are some things worth keeping. One of which, is my Grandpa’s sugar dish. Chipped, faded, and containing no true value, this sugar dish reminds me of summers spent in my grandpa’s home watching Judge Judy and Inspector Gadget, making blanket forts with the dining room chairs and pretending that each step on the stairs was a different room in Barbie’s dream house.

When my Grandpa passed away my Mom had offered many things to me to keep in remembrance of him but they were all just things my Grandpa had owned. I didn’t want one of his Gene Autry calendars or one of the many mini replicas of his horse Champ, to me these were just things my Grandpa had owned. It may seem odd, but one thing I wish I would have kept was one of his notebooks filled with numbers.

My Grandpa played the $1 lottery every day. My Mom even told me he played it when she was growing up and my Grandma would stay up and watch the news to tell him what the winning numbers were the next morning. Even though he only occasionally won his money back, I remember him filling notebooks with different number combinations until he finally chose what bubbles I got to fill in on his ticket. Garbage to most, but those notebooks full of numbers hold a special memory for me.

As my family continues to grow I am thankful that my children get to experience the love from their Grandparents. My husband did not have the chance to know any of his grandparents and until I met him I had taken these memories for granted. I don’t remember any toys they bought me or if we ever went to a fancy restaurant, instead I remember the moments of joy we had together and this is what I want for my children.

Someday I’m sure my kids will throw away the chipped sugar dish but for now we bring it to my parents’ house for every holiday and for a small moment in time it’s like he’s there with us, telling us that he has to hurry and get going a few short minutes after sitting down.

If you go on any social media site you will see how horrible 2016 was for most people. Some of the meme’s are hysterical while others remind you of the challenges the world faced this past year. However, looking back I don’t consider 2016 to be a year to sweep under the rug, I consider it to be a year of growth.

Like others, I have also experienced things this last year that have made me wonder if it could get any worse. We experienced loss in both my immediate and extended family and my marriage was challenged in ways that helped us grow stronger in our relationship with each other as well as our relationship with God. Career decisions, parenting choices, and health concerns all were issues that I faced that made me question what I was doing but looking back I know that it has also helped me grow into a stronger, more focused woman.

With that being said, it’s easy to forget how much happiness filled the year. Like successes in my small business, the growth I’ve seen in our son, fulfilling my childhood dream of swimming with a dolphin (her name was Dot), my husband’s college graduation, and most of all, my ever growing baby bump that will soon excite and terrify me as a new member of our family will be brought into this world. Recognizing the joy in your life help you refocus and know that the joy you have is because you were joyful during those times.

Being a negative person is exhausting. Being around negative people and still being happy can can be equally exhausting but there is a tiny piece inside of me that knows I’m driving someone crazy just for being happy that makes it all worth it.

Take a moment. Find your joy. Welcome another year to grow.