370 days ago, I was sitting at Planet Coffee when I decided to start my little project. Randomly, I had heard of others starting such things but became anxious at the mere thought since my weakest character link is that I had zero patience and anything spanning a year freaked me out and filled my chest with flopping penguins. From across town, mum’s just yelled (again) “THIS IS WHY YOU’RE SINGLE, MONKEY!”

While BB was getting a coffee, I snapped a photo and uploaded it, thereby committing to the first day and subsequently the next 365 days of photo taking. I was panicked and wondered how would I ever make it through an entire year of doing the same thing. Until four nights back when Jills took this, the last photo of the year and I was over the moon that it was done. DONE!

I did something repeatedly for three hundred and sixty six days, and on so many of these days I searched for quotes and little quips and words which inspired my heart. I have since sat down to look at each photo and I remember so vividly each moment my life was frozen and the emotional state then running itself through my body and out of my little finger as it pressed the button. Really and truly, it is amazing that an entire year can come rushing back so clearly, both all that is wanted and all that I wish to tuck away into the corners of my mind.

As to the most important lessons, themes, and realizations of this in-image year…

1 Man Wiser
Self-explanatory. My heart was engaging, and then it was not. My heart ached for a little, and then it did not.

This story taught me one incredibly powerful lesson: always – absolutely always – listen to your gut before anything or anyone else (unless you’re a crazy person who on the regular chats with several folks in the confines of your mind. Which, if you are, please consider writing a book). I have always said that God talks to us directly (sorry, clergy!) in a myriad of ways through instinct, gut feeling, dreams, coincidental occurrences where the sliding doors led you directly to something you would have never otherwise known, seen or understood had you been one second late. Our choice is to either pay attention or not, and then to trust that where there is pain it is the lesser of what we would have otherwise felt had we not paid attention to the Universe.

1 Sassy Adventure
This is a story which has gently ran its fingers over me every year since 2006. Unlike any of the other stories which have come for a very long time, I find myself very protective of its telling.

This story, the Universe has always nudged me to turn her pages and read; instead, I have only stared saucer-eyed at Chapter 1, much like a child with water on the brain. Having finally started to free-fall into Chapter 2, my mouth waters and my body tenses with anticipation at how this story will finally tell herself to me.

1 Brit Found
Her name is Jills, and she is in a total of nine photos from this year, runner up to Cleo’s family who is in 12. When Jills and I first met, I wanted to unravel her, shake her up, shove her into a world of complete and total unknowns where she could not manage, plan, think, consider, see one moment ahead and so be forced to stare only at now and love it more than anything else which might (or not) be chucked at her gorgeous head with that heavenly hair of hers.

Since then however, I can confirm that there is nothing about her I wish to change, except maybe that her and I swap hair. She is perfect with her gigantic blue Crayola Marker and her To Do Lists, and her presence in my life is nothing short of a blessing. For her, I would like to thank A–oine, and the dentist right down from mine.

1 Female Canuck ♥d by York Uni Press
For years, my friends have been pushing me to send in articles for paper publication. I am stubborn and so keep yelling NO because I have this site which I love so dearly. Then one day Aalya sent me an email from York University Press calling for submissions; in addition to their email was hers – threatening, angry in advance should I refuse not to send in my work. Under duress and threat of pain, I sent in two stories, both of which were accepted.

When I later told Aalya the news, she simply rolled her eyes and cackled a laugh with an “OF COURSE THEY ACCEPTED BOTH!! You are a brilliant writer,” and then flipped over the subject because that’s what friends do. We believe in one another and are never ever never surprised when our friends succeed. (FYI: Aalya, she is with Baby Number 2, due very very soon. Please send her your best wishes and all of your love. Also, send her some sleep if you can.)

1 Condo Warmed, Now A Home
My home, The Cloud Cave, it is my favourite place in the world and he is always warmed by the love of my family and friends. On him, there really is nothing more to say.

1 Exercise in Daily Patience
The exercise worked, and I am far more likely to be drenched in patience than I was one year ago. Please don’t confuse that this means I don’t very often become frozen by my need to have things happen now if not, like, yesterday because what in the sh/t am I waiting for? What in the sh/t are you waiting for? What in the sh/t do you mean I have to colour inside the lines slowly and not press so hard? What it means is that the exercise has manifest itself in one critical character alteration for your WebMistress – namely, that I finally really truly believe that all good things come to those who wait.

F.P. Journe,** he has nothing on the Universe.

Thank you to all of my friends who brightened every single moment of the last year; to the nine of you still reading this incredibly long article, you may enjoy the entire #366photos set here.

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**If you’d ever like to mortgage your home to buy me a gift, I’ll take one of his Chronometre Optimum-s, please and thank you.