It Comes Down to One Word: Selah

A Summary of 2023 in exactly 365 Words, a blog hop with the ladies of Exhale

We started 2023 celebrating one of us turning seven with Ninja Turtles, karate, and friends. We survived a Colorado winter with backyard snow days and movies by the fire. In spring, I celebrated 33 at a surprise party with sweet friends, and had the best visit with cousins from Minnesota. One finished preschool. One finished first grade. Brad and I sat on polka dotted cushioned chairs most Mondays at 11 to fight for our marriage.

By summer, the grown-ups celebrated NO MORE DIAPERS after seven consecutive years. 

We melted in the Texas sun for a visit with Bpa and Gigi. One of us celebrated turning four at Chuck E. Cheese. The kids did VBS, theater camp, and zoo camp. We survived summer with popsicles, slushies, camping, and our annual visit from Grandma Kathie and Didi. One of us turned six and celebrated with cousins and school friends. By September, all the kids were in school–preschool, kindergarten, and second grade. And the last of us turned 38.

In fall, we apple picked, pumpkin patched, and snuggled up. We were the Ninja Turtles for Halloween and spent Thanksgiving with our best friends. And in November, we said goodbye to Papa Dave who modeled a life of resilience and perseverance. 

The kids are asking Santa for Magic TreeHouse books, new LEGOS, and a lightsaber for Christmas. 

This year I discovered seven-year- olds can learn an impressive amount of Star Wars facts, six- year-olds still need to be carried up the stairs when they fall asleep in the car, and four-year-olds still mispronounce all the words that start with “f.” 

We logged hours in therapy, at Bible studies, in small groups, and Sunday mornings. We struggled to stretch a dollar further than we’ve ever needed to before.

We were devastated as we watched the ugliest of sins be revealed on public platforms. We clung to the One who holds mercy and justice in his hands. We had questions go unanswered and prayers that held us together. 

We’ve grown in inches, shoe sizes, patience, and gratitude. 

We clung together, our Miller Five, held on by undeserved grace and unfailing Love.

So now–

we breathe in mercy and exhale thanks.

Selah. 

This post is part of a blog hop with Exhale—an online community of women pursuing creativity alongside motherhood, led by the writing team behind Coffee + Crumbs. Click here to view the next post in the series "365 Words".