It’s New Years Eve, and time to finally say goodbye to 2015.
A lot has happened this year-all across the boards. From Derek Shepherd “moving on” to the 2016 Candidate Debates, from the heartbreaking events in San Bernardino and Paris, to the Syrian Refugee Crisis, to the first woman NFL Coach and Adele releasing 25…Yellow had it’s second successful conference, and it’s been a year that is full.
It’s hard to think of a better term to describe this year. **Full **gathersthat it’s not necessarily all easy nor happy, there’s been significant trial and pain this year. But that’s not the jist either. It’s a harmony, a coexist between these two sides of life. The best word I know to describe life is bittersweet.
I know this word very well. I function in this mentality, because, while I have my hot coco in hand, my sweet baby sleeping nearby, and a house full of people I love so so tightly, when I lay my head down, I also have a sense of heartbreak I am saying goodnight too. Although I’ve experienced so much joy this year, it doesn’t dismiss the hard things that have happened, either to someone I love, or to the world I live in, or to myself. I have the choice to either let myself drown in the disarray of the state of our world, the wallow in the relationships that have failed my expectations, or sink in the disheartening truth that, almost three years later, I am grieving losing two babies (you can find a bit of my story here, if you’re interested).
I’m sure this year hasn’t been one sided for you, either. It’s impossible to live on the mountain tops all the time, and please don’t pretend you do…The depths and the valleys are where we grow, and we become more of who we were always intended to be. 
Maybe this year leaned more on one of the sides than the other, but I hope you can give yourself the permission to dance between the two, the bitter and the sweet, the hard and the beautiful, the joy and the pain. Both are worthy to be embraced. And, when we can learn to step into this waltz, the harmony is what makes us whole people.
“When life is sweet, say thank you and celebrate. And when life is bitter, say thank you and grow.” -Shauna Niequest
Whether you are planning on reflecting with some cider, or just enjoying the moment with some champagne, I hope you embrace this year for exactly what it brought. Not dismissing any of its joys or pains.
We are excited for what 2016 holds for you, for us, and for the Yellow Co. Thank you for choosing to journey alongside us, and to share yourselves with us. You inspire and encourage us to continue growing as a company and as individual women. We are grateful for you!
Photos by Emilie Anne Szabo