"Never forget" is my 2022 motto.
Never forget what I've learned this past year through various trials and tribulations, both at home and at work.
Never forget the way I felt before, during and after the worst of it: the fear, the self-loathing, the fear, the pain, the FEAR, the release, the relief, the uncertainty and finally, the calm.
Most of all, never forget how blessed I am to have weathered the storm and to be where I am today: healthier, happier, more resilient, stronger, less fearful.
Regarding Dumbledore's quote above: My values always have been and will continue to be honesty, kindness, laughter and loyalty. (Yes, I am truly a Hufflepuff!) For a long while, I forgot how good it feels to live in line with my values and what a struggle it is when I don't. I forgot that darkness doesn't control me, I control the darkness — and therefore my happiness. I must remember to turn on the light.
To me, this is what it means to embrace the gray. Obviously there will be highs and lows, but I don't seek them out, nor am I content to stay in either extreme for very long. The goal is the calm sea, the even keel.