In 2019, I made a personal goal of blogging once a month. Some months I knew right away what I wanted to write about. Other months, the words didn't come so easily, but I wrote anyways. 

With blogging, you put your words out there, not knowing who (if anyone) will read them. I never know if people will connect with what I'm sharing. Because of this, each year, it's interesting for me to see which blogs were read the most. 

Here are the Top 10 blogs of 2019 

​“It’s a beautiful day in this neighborhood. A beautiful day for a neighbor. Would you be mine? Could you be mine?” Anytime I hear these song lyrics, a smile comes across my face, and I immediately picture Fred Rogers putting on a red sweater and changing into his sneakers. And for some reason, I always feel a sense of peace and comfort. 
 
I grew up watching Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. At the time, I didn’t realize how much of an impact this show would have on me...or the rest of the world. For 31 seasons, Fred Rogers invited us into his neighborhood. 

​I feel like I’m running in circles 
There’s no end in sight 
I feel like I need some closure 
To get this off of my mind 
The past is now behind me 
But I still feel like it defines me 
How can I move on 
It’s been so long 
 
In the midst of my weakness 
You are strong 
In the midst of my trials 
You help me hold on 
In the midst of confusion 
You bring clarity 
In the midst of the darkness 
You help me to see 

​My mom retired after 35 years of being an elementary teacher. As she was ending her teaching career, I was beginning mine. I loved sharing teaching stories with my mom. She could relate to what I was going through, and on those really tough days and weeks, I always felt better after talking with my mom.
 
Unfortunately, a few years after my mom retired, she passed away. I expected holidays and birthdays to be hard without her. What caught me by surprise, though, is how much I missed her as I drove to school. And at the beginning of each new school year, waves of grief would roll in and out.
 
Now, I anticipate the waves, and instead of them overtaking me, I ride them out. As I drive to school each day, I welcome the childhood memories that come to mind....

​One of the inventions I’m most thankful for is GPS. Being directionally challenged, driving to new or unfamiliar places can cause me to feel a little anxious....even with a GPS.
 
I still remember how excited I was years ago when I got my first navigation system for my car – a TomTom. Even though I heard the word “recalculating” a lot (when I missed a turn), I felt a sense of security knowing that this little device decreased the likelihood of me getting completely lost.
 
Now, instead of a TomTom, I typically use the navigation system built into my car, Google Maps, or Waze. Recently, I was in an unfamiliar area and was about to leave to go home. It was dark out, and I was in the middle of the country. I clicked “Go Home” on my GPS and started to follow the soothing voice that was giving me directions.