Karibu 2019

Happy New Year!!! I hope everyone is excited for 2019. I know I am. I am ready to live the hell out of 2019.

As mentioned in yesterday’s post, I have some really exciting stuff planned for Lwile the Leo in 2019. I thought I would share them and maybe we can inspire each other this year.

Kindly note that this list is a WIP. These are what I managed to come up with over the last quarter of 2018 and as the year goes on I may add to the list.

1. A support group for people who have lost a loved one to cancer. This is hands down the biggest goal for 2019. I do not know just yet if I will form a support group of my own or add my voice to an existing one. What I do know is I have to do something to help others who feel how I did last year, particularly around my mum’s one year anniversary. While each person’s grief is unique, it is my hope that I can share what I went through/learnt in 2018 to help others feel less alone in their grief.
2. The Mother Of All Losses. The idea behind this is to show what this great loss looks like at different stages. With The Grief Diaries I focus on my new grief. With TMOAL I plan to showcase the grief of those who have been without their mum for some time, while also bringing in a different perspective from other people whose grief is also new. That way if someone is reading the blog, no matter where they are in their grief journey they may find comfort in someone else’s journey they identify with. The original idea for this was to have guest posts from various contributors but that did not feel right. Not everyone is talented at writing, so asking the contributors to convey their grief via a guest post is not practical. My BFF gave me the idea for a podcast which is what I am going with. I have never listened to a podcast in my life though. I guess I better start now if I want to figure out how to go about this project.
3. Find Your Happy. This is a WIP I plan to undertake concerning mental health. I have no idea what the final product will be but for now it is focused on Find Your Happy. Mental health is something very dear to me and I look forward to seeing what I can do to destigmatise this highly important conversation.
4. The Alphabet Series. This is a tag I have been planning for a while where I will run down the alphabet; A is for this, B is for that etc. As we were taught in Creative Writing Masterclass XII, writing should be fun. It should not feel like work. So there is no point to this tag other than being fun and creative.
5. I am also toying around with the idea of writing letters to people struggling with the loss of a loved one to cancer. I came across this idea when I was watching Gisele Bündchen on Ellen. Gisele said she would write letters to people she had never met who were struggling with different things. She would share some of the challenges she had faced with hopes of helping others feel they are not alone. I am aiming for handwritten letters as I love the idea of reviving the lost art of letter writing. But for now I cannot see how this is possible. Where do I find these people? Do they all have addresses I can send the letters to? Clearly this idea needs to be fleshed out a lot more but if I can crack it I believe it will be wonderful.

Last but not least, though this is not a project it is something I saw on Instagram that I thought was really cool.

This January ​start the year with an empty jar. Each week add a note with a good thing that happened. On New Year’s Eve empty the jar and read about the amazing year you had.

How awesome is that? I will definitely be doing it and I encourage everyone else to do the same.

In conclusion, today I changed both my WhatsApp and Instagram profile pictures and statuses. They were previously about my mum but now feels like the right time to make the change. It makes me think of a grieving widow(er) taking off their wedding ring. I imagine that even as they do so they are still grieving, but taking off their ring is a symbol that one is ready to begin moving on with their life. That is what changing my pics and statuses symbolises for me. My grief may always be a part of me but that does not mean it will always define me. My WhatsApp status and Instagram bio are now a link to my blog. I wrangled with changing them to something “safer” as I was extremely nervous about being so declarative. But if this blog is going to be big it has to start with me. I cannot let fear get in the way of what I know is my purpose.

Once again, Happy New Year! May 2019 be the best year yet, but not ever.