Today’s New Narrative Day celebrates a story that began quietly on this date eleven years ago. And while today’s moment is inherently and independently meaningful, the history that precedes it is equally special to me—especially because eleven is my favorite number.
It first materialized during the wee morning hours of December 30, 2014. I was up a bit earlier than usual, soaking up the pre-dawn stillness and solitude, the kind my introvert soul tends to savor and celebrate.
My decision to take that training was visceral, intuitive, and immediate. It didn’t invite analysis, arguments, or alternatives. “This is my next important step,” I clearly recognized. “It’s the missing piece that makes all the other parts of my professional repertoire work in harmony.”
Call it coincidence, fate, or divine appointment, but these two life events now share the same commencement date. When my marriage ended three years later in 2017, my “APSATS anniversary” remained a special square on the calendar, a happy blue-and-green beacon to brighten an otherwise painful occasion.
Not gonna lie—this position has already proven to be challenging and time-consuming, with new responsibilities now stacked atop my already busy schedule. But it also seems to be bringing out the best in me, allowing me to support our community in meaningful new ways that I truly cherish.
Predictably, I woke up feeling contemplative today—just as I do every year on this date. As I no longer spend these mornings reflecting on things I loved about my ex-husband, I instead find myself pondering things I love about my life in the present; today that involves all of the blessings that APSATS has contributed to my life: my inspiring clients, my beloved colleagues, a career that I adore, and the fact that I never take any of it for granted.
Thanks in large part to APSATS, December 30 remains a date that’s somehow STILL all about LOVE. And seriously, how lucky is that?! Because, if there’s anything life has taught me these past several decades, it’s that new narratives will always rise to meet and relieve the old ones, and that my heart actually IS big enough to hold them all.
PS: Because anniversaries invite symbolism (and sparkles, obviously), I purchased this gorgeous Moissanite ring for myself today. It features APSATS’ blue, green and teal color palette—which, incidentally, I redesigned for APSATS’ new logo in 2024. I’ll wear it as a testament to sacred synchronicity, along with my eternal gratitude for unexpected new narratives. (Bonus gratitude to Sharon Rinearson, my beloved friend, boss (CORE Relationship Recovery), podcast cohost (Ask the Betrayed) and jewelry designer extraordinaire; she’s making me a crystal bracelet in similar colors to match!)
