Friday Five Beginnings and Endings

Sally offers us a deceptively simple Friday Five this week (I got a little stuck on this one!):

First list five things that you remember/ treasure from 2008. Then list five things that you are looking forward to in 2009.

Five from 2008:
1. Mr. M and I started a wonderful New Year's Day tradition of visiting a museum, spending time reflecting separately and then talking about each of our visions for the coming year. We did it yesterday, too, and it still feels like a wonderful idea. (Of course, we're nutty enough that there are also regular tuneups in this plan.)

2. Mr. M and I finally went on our honeymoon. It was a very good week-- but I've noticed that it's gotten even better in the retelling! There seems to be some myth-making going on in my house.

3. I resigned postulancy. Parts of that were sad, but more than anything else it was a tremendous relief.

4. Good friends moved closer, and so we've been able to reconnect with really wonderful people. After a few years of not having really kindred spirits nearby, it's nice to finally have these warm, good friends again.

5. I started to learn to trust myself, and to trust my own relationship with God (again).

5 for 2009:
1. I am really looking forward to finishing my spiritual direction class. I've enjoyed it, and it's a wonderful group of people, but I'm looking forward to being done.

2. I'm ready to move. I think it might just be an in-town move, but this is huge for me. It's the first time I'll have moved without having "orders!"

3. The Rev.Dr. Kate used a phrase over at Prairie Light recently, and it's been rattling around in my head ever since: "compassionate curiosity." I'd like to approach other people from this perspective, but I'd also like to use it to be gentler with myself.

4. 1 John 4:18 has been echoing through my thoughts, too: There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love. I've been awfully anxious/fretful/fidgety for quite a while, and I'd like to try to let love replace fear.

5. A light one-- I'm really looking forward to spending the Cherry Blossom Ten Miler weekend in DC with Mr. M!