Kyla Basher Creative

A new move and the season of new beginnings, and our own good tidings. 

I began just simply writing this am and found I was asking myself these three questions below. Here is my year in review through the practice of cultivating gratitude, love and reflection.

What gifts has this year given you?

This year brought many gifts for our household; we saw our first house go from a work in progress to a finished product. Our first ever home in Durham gave us not only a place to lay our heads each night, but a wonderful neighborhood full of kind, friendly people and a great place for our dogs to play. Over the course of a year we hosted friends and family, discovered many moments of bliss, playfulness, and good company ending bittersweet as we successfully sold our home in our move North to Rhode Island.

This year also gave us perspective. We found ourselves utterly in love with the city of Durham. Biking to Yoga, Geer St. Garden, friends’ houses, to work and all the way to Chapel Hill! We loved the culture, the vibrancy, resilience, and entrepreneurial spirit. Of course we loved going to a Bulls game and never failed to stop in Daisy Cakes for our Saturday morning coffee. So many gifts!

Where have you found love this year?

This year was also full of love. I was incredibly lucky to be present for several of my friends’ absolutely awesome weddings. The friends we have are truly a one-of-a-kind bunch, I know I’m biased but I just don’t see a more fun group of people spending good time with each other as often as these folk.

We found love in our work as well. While Ben was frequented by the “lollipop gang” at the bike shop (a small crowd of kids who knew Ben would never turn them away and who would always hand out tootsie pops when asked), he also was embraced in a hug of gratitude when he kindly helped a guy in need get a bike to get around! I found myself overwhelmed by the impact my outdoor program was having on my high school students and saw my own love and genuine desire to see these kids succeed coming back to me in letters, hugs, and plenty of Swedish fish (my favorite candy).

What reflections are you left with before January 1?

As another new year comes to us, my partner and I found ourselves in a state of constant reflection. Together we took on a lot in a short amount of time. We’ve pushed each other to assess our passions and our careers and we’ve spent weeks and months a part seeking to figure it all out. We’re always going to be figuring it out I think, but what we are learning together…. really has more to do with what truly makes us happy as individual people and how to recognize and support that.

It was a very busy, at times very overwhelming year in review. Ben successfully ran a non-profit bike shop and later completed an intensive four month law enforcement training before accepting full time status with New England Science and Sailing. I made it through my first year of public school teaching, completed my Masters in Sustainable Communities from Goddard College and together we said goodbye to a wonderful place full of wonderful people and wonderful memories.

Take time to remember…

This weekend’s supposed to bring us some snow here in the Northeast. While we all scurry around preparing to hunker down, beat the weekend traffic and get to where we’re going I will be looking forward to the “slow living” that tends to be the by-product of such weather. This writing exercise helped me evaluate the parts and pieces of the past year that deserve credit and to let go of the rough stuff.

So go ahead and park the cars, dim the lights to see the snowflakes in late afternoon, brew some hot cocoa or tea, put on your fluffiest sweater and oldest fleece socks, and sit closely with friends and family…celebrate your life.

Much love, – K

Ben & Lily practicing Acro-Yoga – Durham, NC 2013

Jack “smushy-face” – sleeping after a long romp in the park.

Kyla & Ben w/ Jack & Lily : Christmas 2011