2018 IS MY YEAR

In few hours 2017 will be a memory. I was going to write a completely different blog post. I was going to do a personal inventory of my year. I was going to tell you how I have changed and grown this year as a person as well as a writer. What I still need to work on so that I can move forward with my life in a healthy way.

I've had a roommate for almost two weeks. It has been a huge adjustment for me. The thought of taking an inventory of my year and blogging about it was more than I could handle. I am happy to say that I am coping relatively well. 

In a few months, I will be leaving this facility. I still cannot believe a day that I thought would never come is getting closer. My profile is in the system. I have chosen the area I want to live in. I am waiting to hear, who will support my care. I am told it is a long, slow process. Being granted approval by the state was the difficult part. I  am waiting to learn who I will be working with. I am excited and scared at the same time. 

That is what a new year is about. .Tomorrow all of us begin a new chapter in our lives. A chance to do better. A chance for a fresh start. I  am so grateful that God is giving me my life back. The thought of living in a house, having my own room and feeling normal again brings tears to my eyes.

My goals for 2018 are to begin writing my monthly column for the West End Word again.

I am going write more positive blog posts. I enjoy learning about people. I hope to do more interview posts in the coming year too.

I will continue writing fairy tales featuring Prudencia. Writing Prudencia is a great stress reliever for me.

I will make sure I have a smooth transition into my new home. I will be the best housemate I can be. I will learn the skills I need to be more independent.This is my last chance. I won't blow it.

In  2018 I want to have a better relationship with my family. I want them to be proud of me. I will do all I can to prove to them that I have changed.   I love them all very much.

As I write this 2017 has just two hours left.  This has been a difficult year for me. Maybe it's been difficult for you too. Tomorrow we start a new chapter. The pages are blank. It is a new beginning.

Make 2018 your best year yet. .Happy New Year.

SHE'S GOT A LOT TO SAY

I write fairy tale journals for my friends here. The narrator in all of my fairytale journals is a spirit named Prudencia. Prudencia is funny, opinionated, and outrageous. She is very wise. 

Prudencia possesses all the qualities I wish I had. I think of her as my alter ego. Her voice is high-pitched and a little nervous. It combines Aunt Clara from Bewitched and Mrs. Mondello from Leave It to Beaver.

The only thing that I cannot take credit for is her name. The name Prudencia came from my favorite telenovela Lo Que La Vida Me Robo. It was the coolest character name in the series. When I heard the name I knew that I had to find a way to use the name in my journals

The following is the Christmas entry from Prudencia's journal.  She is fun to write. I  hope that you enjoy her holiday message.

Hello Dear Readers,

My name is Prudencia. You have probably heard of me. What?  What do you mean you have never heard of me?  I am crushed. Deeply crushed. I am giving you the benefit of my 5,000 years of wisdom. My friends are always saying to me, "Prudencia you don’t look a day over 2,000.". I eat healthily, drink plenty of fluids and I float for five miles every day. 

I am a spirit of love and light.   I was sent to Earth to help people who are alone or in some kind of peril. I wanted to be a fairy godmother. I tried so hard, but I failed the test. You have no idea how difficult a magic wand is to control. They are heavy too. I wanted to turn a  rock into a flower. I pointed the magic wand at the rock. That wand had a mind of its own. I’m serious. One minute my magic wand was pointing at the rock...The next thing I knew poof! The magic wand had changed directions. That wand had quite a kick... The smoke... I was wheezing for days.  I turned one of my boss’s assistants into a frog. He was so angry that he almost disappeared.  You never want good spirits to disappear. The universe needs all the positive energy it can get.

I like helping people. It makes me feel needed.  Human beings are inherently good. Sometimes they make bad choices. That’s where I come in. I try to watch over them, protect them, and guide them.  I care about all of the people that I am in charge of.  It is not just a job for me. it is a calling. I  want the people I care for to have the best lives they possibly can.  It is my job to make sure that they do.

I ponder about everything. I hope all of you like to ponder. Pondering is good for your brain.  I have been pondering about Christmas. Why do people get so caught up in the hustle and bustle?  That’s a fun expression to say. Try it. Ready?  Breathe in. Hustle. Breathe out. Bustle. Ah, it takes so little to make this spirit happy

The Christmas season is about love. Why don’t people realize that? What do they think Santa really represents? He is not about gifts, cookies, or candy canes. Although just between us, I have to admit I love a good rum ball and eggnog spiked with rum. Delicious.

People need to remember Peace and Goodwill the other 364 days of the year, not just on Christmas. Why is that so hard? I  ponder about that so much that I get a migraine? Spirits can’t take medication. We cannot fly if we do we nosedive straight to the ground. It's embarrassing. We just have to ride a headache out. It's exhausting.

I hope that you enjoyed my blog post. I have never been a guest blogger before. I hope I did not ramble too much. My friends tell me that I never know when to shut up.  I have been around for 5,000 years. I have a lot to say.

Ciao.

P.S. If I happen to be on your Christmas list there is a Kate Spade bag I have had my eye on.  I know Christmas is not about gifts, but I  just can not help it. A Kate Spade bag would make my entire century.

MERRY CHRISTMAS! HAPPY HOLIDAYS! SEASON'S GREETINGS! FELIZ NAVIDAD!

Oh, there I go again!