Yesterday, the one-year anniversary of Oliver’s Odyssey slipped quietly by. I had planned to do something big, in celebration, but true to the current theme of our life, the month leading up to this special day was filled with chaos and little opportunity for creativity.
But this only solidifies in my mind one of the greatest lessons I have learned since this endeavor began 366 days ago… Accept what comes and do not resist… Find the beauty and go with the flow.
As a serial perfectionist with a penchant for high standards, this is not something that comes naturally to me. Setting expectations, massively failing to meet them, and following up with plenty of emotional self-flagellation has always been the name of my game. This last year has demanded that I address and grow through that dysfunction in order to continue with my mission to share hope and truth, while living a life that often feels unsupportive of that goal.
Despite the chaos, writing has given me the gift of connection to the creative force that flows within us all and through that connection I have found healing on a level deeper than I could’ve imagined. And although I have wished, many times, for more hours to be enveloped in the serene waters of creativity, I have learned to honor and accept that I am being given exactly what I need at exactly the right time.
I sit here at my laptop, a different person than I was 12 months ago, still not free from struggle but armed with my wisdom gained. I have found my passion and through that I am letting go of a lifetime of self-limiting beliefs and patterning.
This year has taught me to love, forgive and care for myself… concepts that have taken me a lifetime to grasp but now feel so essential. I used to think clichés like, ‘You can’t care for someone until you care for yourself’ and ‘You cannot truly love someone until you love yourself’ were complete and total bullshit. But the transformation I’ve witnessed within myself and my relationships in the last year have allowed me to see the folly of my ways. Insecurity, comparison and jealously ruled the roost of my younger years, but truth, love and security will guide me on.
This blog has become my own oasis of hope. Not only a record of our special needs experience, but a way to grow through it, refocusing again and again on the beauty in the breakdown. It is about love and truth and accountability. It’s about spirituality and personal growth. Connection instead comparison. It’s about everything I’ve always searched for. And I love it.
So thank you for being here, for taking part in, this, my greatest journey. I love you all and extend my gratitude for this space that you’ve allowed. Happy 1-year anniversary to our Odyssey. ❤
Oliver's Odyssey 
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