Writing a "looking back" post became an annual ritual. This year is not any different. With the calendar soon switches to 2019, it is always (dis)heartening to reflect on your resolutions and craft out new ones for the next year. 2018 was exciting. This year was filled with two major milestones (no. 1 and 2) of a person's life:
Earlier this year, I tied the knot with the most beautiful and wonderful woman. We prepared our wedding for at least five months - sourcing for venues and vendors, discussing the decoration and the flow, and what not. I remembered after a hectic and fun-filled day, we were sitting in our wedding suite, donned in our singlets and shorts in front of a table of food. We are married. Marriage is not what is portrayed in K-dramas or movies. Getting married is the first step of many, staying married needs work, trials, errors, and a good lot of prayers. Without making this paragraph sounds like marriage counseling, I just want to summarise it as - I'm blessed to have her by my side, every day till we meet our maker.
2. Thank God for Olivia.
You know the red 囍 that Chinese loves to put at weddings? It literally translates to double happiness. Shortly, after the wedding, we found out that we were pregnant. To be honest, it was unexpected, as we planned to "try" after enjoying alone time for one year. But they always say, God's timing is always the best. Parenthood brings another set of blessings and sacrifices. The first is the major lack of sleep. Couple, not to even mention, alone time is hard to come by. It's a major transition packed with a darn steep learning curve. As of the last week of 2018, she turned one month, and we are still struggling and learning. Despite the sacrifices and complaints (mostly me), we thank God for bestowing this lovely daughter to us.
3. Thank God for people who truly care.
I read somewhere that when you hit your late 20s, you don't need a lot of friends. When I was younger, I thought otherwise, but as wisdom accumulates, I notice that people go through this filtering process, perhaps unknowingly, when time is not as abundant. Things get prioritised. People whom you think were closed or cared may felt otherwise. Yet on the other hand, new bonds are continuously forged. This year, I thank God for friends who truly cared, who comforted and encouraged, who stuck through thick and thin.
4. Thank God for the chance to explore a little more.
After checking Iceland off our holiday list, we know we wanted a similar road trip for our honeymoon. Despite the pregnancy, we went ahead for our belated honeymoon in New Zealand. And even a babymoon in Taiwan during the third trimester. Our next holiday is not any time soon, but we do look forward to the next one.
As the last post of 2018, I truly wish you a great and blessed 2019. It's gonna be great.