12 months. 52 weeks. 365 days. 8,760 hours.

A quarter into a traditional college degree. A degree for accelerated college programs. A whole pregnancy and a 3-month old baby. A brand new house and enough time (if there’s enough budget) to plan and have a housewarming party. For a normal adult person, 1,400 liters of sweat produced¹. For an amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patient, it is from playing professional piano to being unable to brush teeth, text, or walk without help².

A lot goes on in a year. And yet, at times, it feels like it went by with a blink of an eye.

As 2017 draws to an end, I reflect on how perfectly imperfect life is. That despite struggles, stressors or shortcomings, we won’t have it any other way, for if not for these, we wouldn’t have gained the resilience, strength and wisdom we now have.

This past year, I’m grateful for having launched this website where I’m able to create and express what I’m passionate about. I’m very grateful for being on designmom.com, and having had the chance to share our family’s story, and what we’re passionate about.

I’m also grateful for starting to love nursing again. Sometimes, I get blown away by the power I have to change a life by doing my job. I’m humbled and honored to be given that opportunity.

I’m mostly grateful for the core memories that were possibly formed in my children’s lives through the traveling we did, the spontaneity of park visits, drive thrus, and finding the special in our daily routine schedule. I’m grateful for the times I’m able to make my family happy by just being and doing things with me, not by getting or giving them things.




In 2018, I plan to create more wooden signs, be more fit to avoid hurting my back, and finish another book that’s been sitting on the shelf for years. But most of all, I look forward to providing more quality care to my patients, being more of a mom and a wife, hopefully becoming the person God made me to be.