Cleanin' house.

2011 is a year of changes for me.

First: I am getting in shape. It isn't easy, and I am not one of those crazy b*tches who says she loves working out, and that being in shape is her "addiction" and all of that garbage. I don't trust those people. They need to have their a** kicked by a fat girl, and then get force fed some cheese. Stat.

Second: My husband and I are embarking on this year with complete Faith in God's plan for us. This past year took a very unexpected (but long suspected) turn when our youngest was diagnosed with ASD/SPD, and life has been a roller coaster ride ever since. We have recently turned everything over to The Big Guy, in the hopes of gaining some peace. We don't know how things will end, but we do know it will be okay, no matter what. "It won't be easy, but it will be worth it."

Third: I've committed to continue writing books, even if I never get published. This doesn't diminish the need to try and GET published. But for a while this past summer, I considered quitting. Not because I wanted to. Because the thought of stopping my writing gives me a stomach ache. But because I was getting A LOT of guff from "friends" who were hinting that I needed to take my energy spent on writing, and focus it on my family. That was a major insult. MAJOR. It took me a while to get over it, actually, and I don't think I'm quite over it, yet. But now I can honestly say that I'm perfectly okay (not satisfied, by any means, mind you) with having dozens upon dozens of unpublished books. As long as I keep writing, I'll be happy.

Fourth: Number three brings me to this one...and it's a big one! One of my resolutions this year was two fold---I vowed to "Make new friends, and cultivate the friendships I already have" AND I vowed to "Clean House, and eliminate toxic friends from my life.

Now, before I continue, I have to say that I learned A LOT about my friends this past year. Some of them are incredible. Loyal, accepting, loving, nurturing, fun, and they always, always have my back. And I have committed myself to making more friends like this, as well as making MORE friends like this. However, this also  meant that I was going to weed out the not-so-nice friends.

Every girl has them. Not one girl in the world is without a toxic friend, or two. Maybe more. Me, for instance. I had A LOT of them. After some serious soul searching, I realized that I had more than my fair share of toxic friends. Friends who talked behind my back. Friends who lied...A LOT. Friends who made me feel like crap all the time. Friends who made fun of me more often than necessary. Friends who loved me to my face, then drove the knife in as soon as my back was turned.

The cool thing about growing up is...the further I get into my 30's, the more I realize that I don't have to put up with Snarky chicks. (There are a few Snarky B*tches I will keep, though.) There is no rule book that says I have to be friends with every woman I know! Mind you, I don't need to be mean or cold or unkind...but I don't have to pretend to enjoy someone's company if I don't. I don't have to spend time with someone, if they make me feel angry and hurt when I leave them. I don't have to pledge my loyalty to someone who gets upset with me for not devoting my every spare second to them. I don't have to pretend that someone hasn't hurt me, just for the sake of social acceptance. I don't have to tolerate fake, phony behavior. And I don't ever have to FORGET. Ever. Sure, I need to forgive ill behavior. And I have. But I don't have to forget. And I never do.

I've been cleaning house for a few weeks now, and it feels so good. It feels good to surround myself with supportive friends who don't question my every move, or make fun of everything I do. This last year was hard for me. And so far this year hasn't been the best...but I have great confidence that things will turn around. This is going to be a year of getting healthy inside and out for me.

I highly recommend "cleanin' house" to everyone. It feels GREAT!

Brooke Moss