Every Mile Mattered In 2019

It is December 28th and as I contemplate 2019, Nicole Nordeman’s Every Mile Mattered starts playing on my Windows Media Player. It is from the CD of the same name. I highly recommend it.

Every Mile Mattered is a good title for this post as every mile literally traveled by foot, in my car or figuratively day in and day out mattered.

My “Miles” In 2019

Mile #1

This year brought about a renewed interest in blogging, thanks to being only a few posts shy of 1,550. I could not let 2019 end without at least reaching that goal and preferably surpassing it, which I did. So I am heading into a new year and new decade well on my way to my 1, 700th blog post – the goal I will reach when 2020 is in the history books.

Mile #2

Jobwise I am still a virtual logistics representative and for the third year in a row, was part of Santa’s logistics team. I work, eat, sleep and attempt to keep the house clean – a very routine, predictable and somewhat boring life. This lifestyle has it’s advantages as you will see in Mile #5.

Mile #3

The end of the year still sees my marital status as single and I am fine with that status. My life became a train wreck a few years ago and it would not be fair to bring a man into this mess and expect him to help clean it up.

Mile #4

I discovered how much a local radio station LOVES to play Bob Seeger’s song Turn The Page. Every Friday during Lent I went to the local diner and as I was eating my shrimp basket, that song would play over the radio. Huh?! What are you trying to tell me God? Do I turn the page in the Bible or is it a page in life that I need to turn?

When I went to the diner after Lent, I would still hear Turn The Page. Even heard it on trips around town as I was running errands.

Well, I guess He was preparing me to turn the page and start blogging more but then again… He had a hand in Mile #5.

Mile #5

Because i have a routine, predictable, boring life I have this in my garage. This photo was snapped the day I bought it. My 2004 Pontiac Grand Am bit the dust after 4 1/2 years of driving like James Bond. So I had no choice but to buy a new vehicle.

Thank you boss for the $5 an hour pay raise last year. Otherwise I would be walking everywhere.

And of course, thank you God as your hand was visible that day. Thank you also for the wonderful people at the dealership and my friend who let me drive her brand new vehicle to the dealer.

My Miles During The Past Decade

As I contemplate the end of 2019, I find myself focusing on it being the end of a year and do not think much about this year also being the end of a decade.

I could go on about the miles I’ve experience during the last decade but I’d rather not. The career ups and downs, the finding out who true friends are not, the learning new rules of job searching are all things that are thankfully in the past – and I want to keep them there.

The biggest and best mile of the past decade was starting my blogging career by launching JoyReturns.

Let me explain how this got started for those of you new here (and I know there are a lot of you). One morning in the second half of 2010 I heard “Widows Website” whispered in my right ear just as I was starting to wake up.

Startled, I opened my eyes and looked up at the ceiling and said “Are you crazy?” “Joe did not teach me about websites before he died.”

So I did what any “good” Christian would do – I blew God off. However, He kept nagging at me and sometime later that year, I googled “widows website” and found lots of dark, dreary and depressing websites. I knew God had chosen me to create a website and it had to be cheery-looking, with uplifting content but also not shy away from the tough issues as they need to be addressed as well.

And so JoyReturns was born and started her travels through 161 countries (so far).

Here I Go

So here I go getting ready to turn the page on 2019 and face 2020 planning on traveling. I hope you will join me on this road trip and experience each and every mile as they all will matter.

It will also help if you brush up on how to do

Playlist

Nicole Nordeman / Every Mile Mattered

Bob Seeger’s Greatest Hits / Limited Edition

Bio: Michele Kearns is the founder and HUG© (Hope Unites Globally) Award-Winner of JoyReturns. She shares her widowhood adventures hoping to encourage widows to move through grief and rebuild their lives. A graduate of Kent State University with a Bachelor’s degree in communications, she’s used those skills while managing call center teams, co-facilitating a grief support group, and helping small businesses with various writing and administrative assignments. Michele is a bookworm, and a lover of history, chocolate, red roses, and golden retrievers. She is also the amateur photographer behind the blog OgleOhio.com