Every year I set goals rather than resolutions. Goals give me something to work toward while resolutions can be a bit intimidating, especially if you vow to do something every day and end up missing a day.  So I set small goals, medium-sized goals, and big goals. I usually try to get the small goals out of the way first and slowly work my way up to the big ones, depending on what they are. 

Years ago, when I first started writing goals, I would set deadlines to have my books published. Well, we know that's not always in our control so I changed it to getting the book finished or sending the book to the publisher. Those were goals I could control. 

I encourage you to choose five REALLY BIG goals that will change your life like finish your first manuscript, enroll in college, or take the trip to Spain, if you can. Big goals should be big for a reason; they should make you have to push yourself to achieve them.  And it really helps to use a planner to keep track of these as you can write each week what you've done to work toward that goal!

​Happy setting, and welcome to 2019!

Keeping track of what has happened each year is important to me because I can look back to see where I've been, what I've done, and how I've changed. I can also see things that need to be improved and changes I need to make. So, without further ado, here is my year in review. 

• I started writing for Inquisitr in January 2018.
• I created three more videos for one of my favorite authors.
• I stopped writing for Inquisitr in March 2018. 
• I enrolled in three separate classes to help build my career. I'm currently taking two of them now. The other one starts next month. 
• I started teaching another class for writers at Women on Writing and was accepted to teach another class, based on grammar, that will begin in March.
• I went to Washington, D.C. for the first time in April and got to see the cherry blossoms!
• My friends hosted a HUGE 50th birthday party for me as I hit the big 5-0 this year. No, I don't feel any different than when I was 49. 
• I went to Las Vegas for the first time in June and had a wonderful time, but next time I go, I'll make sure it isn't summer!  
• I sold a chat story to Hooked for the very first time!
• I've continued my goal of writing every day as I have since 2012.
• I've continued to write for Vocal.Media and have had the pleasure of writing about some of my favorite television shows. 
• In October, I went to Brevard, NC for the first time in ten years. I lived there once upon a time ,and it was nice to go back! 
• I read over thirty books, which doesn't sound like a lot, but I had slowed down on reading for a while. I'm glad I got back into it. 
• I finished editing three books and published two.
• I made the decision to stop self-publishing and will be submitting all of my work through my agent or directly to the publisher. 
• I reconnected with a friend I hadn't seen in six years. 
• I lost a friend who was like a sister to me. She passed away on December 10th at the age of 54 which is far too young to die. I know I'll never stop missing her. 
• I sold an article to a magazine that was basically about success I'd had in writing. 
• I learned some disappointing health news in November, but I'm rebounding and figuring out my next move. 
• I went through another hurricane in October, which was Category 1 when it passed by Charleston. 
• I cut out sugar for a good portion of the year. I allowed myself sweets during the holidays only. 
• And this weekend, I'm taking the train to Raleigh, NC to spend New Year's Day with friends. 

So that wraps up this year! I'm looking forward to 2019! 

It's never easy to say goodbye, whether it's just for a few months or for longer. The people we love in our lives leave an impact on our hearts. They've made our world a better place, and even though we may disagree with them, ultimately, we are tethered by a connection forged in similarities. 

I met Rene Manning Wilson online in 2006, and we became fast friends even though we lived over 500 miles apart and only got to see each other once or twice a year.  But we talked on the phone for hours on end several times a week when possible, sometimes chatting into the early morning hours. We made each other laugh and no topic was off-limits even if we disagreed.

The first time I met Rene in person was the same day her mother passed away. I'd flown to Missouri to meet her, knowing her mother was extremely ill. I asked Rene if I should wait, but she wanted me to come. So I did, arriving about eight hours before she lost her mother. That first meeting cemented our relationship. You don't walk beside someone through pain and come out without a connection. 

Over the years, I became a part of Rene's family. I felt as comfortable at her house as I did in my own. And Rene and her family came to see me as often as they could, experiencing some firsts here in Charleston like walking on the beach. I welcomed Rene's sister, Shelley, her nephews, and her daughter into my home, loving their unique perspective on life.

Rene spent all of her life in the little town where she was born, East Prairie, Missouri, which has a population of about 3,000 people. I've spent most of my life in big cities, most in excess of 500,000 people. Rene had experienced some things I never would like having a child while I ventured outside the country, something I couldn't pay her money to do. We could not have been more different from one another.  But we loved one another despite those differences. 

On December 10th, Rene passed away at her home. The call from her sister came as a shock, and I don't know when or if I'll fully recover.  It was much like the call Rene made to me when her daughter, Alexis passed away at the young age of thirty-one in 2017.  Rene's heart broke, but she tried to make the most of life without her only child.   But those of us who loved her knew she desperately missed her beloved Lexi. 

That is the only thing that makes Rene's passing a little more tenable. She didn't walk into Heaven alone. Her daughter was there, hand outstretched, to welcome her mother into her new life. And Rene was reunited with the child who owned her heart.

While we who are behind miss her and grieve for her, we also rejoice that she has found happiness once again, and we know that when our time comes, it will be Rene's hand reaching out to us to say "welcome home." 

Today is Small Business Saturday, a day when local business try to draw shoppers into their smaller stores for Christmas purchases. And because I'm grateful for each small business that struggles to keep its head afloat in the face of the retail giants, I always make it a point to go shopping on Small Business Saturday. Those businesses count on customers like me to prevent them from being overtaken by vast commercialism. It might not be much, but I will always do my part to help those trying to support themselves! 

Outside my window, I can hear slamming car doors and excited people returning from a marathon shopping spree. They're carrying their purchases into the house while I sit here reading a book. And while I'm sure my neighbors got some good deals, I know that I spent a relaxing day falling in love with my favorite book here again. I didn't fight traffic or stand in long lines to make a purchase because we still have over a month until Christmas. There's plenty of time to shop, and I know retailers will come up with even more deals to entice shoppers. So, today, I took the chance to do nothing, and I'm grateful. 

Notice I didn't say I'm grateful that I get to cook? That would be dishonest. I don't like cooking. In fact, I will avoid it at any costs, but I am grateful that I learned how to cook. Much of the time, it's cheaper to cook than it is to eat out. So I did a lot of cooking during my college days. With Thanksgiving tomorrow, I'll be cooking this evening as well, and I'm glad that I can bring something to our gathering, even though my family knows they only receive a cooked dish from me twice a year. (Thanksgiving and Christmas)  Still, it's a skill I'm glad I learned, and who knows? There may even come a day when I enjoy it! But I'm not holding my breath!