Tuesday, January 01, 2019

Farewell 2018

So . . . 2018 is now officially history. I have some thoughts.
2018 was one of the most life-changing years for me in a long time - good changes and bad.
I lost two loving and wonderful men - my father to Alzheimer’s and my brother-in-law to depression. One was anticipated, the other was devastatingly sudden.
I learned how to count carbs and calculate insulin dosages.
I saw my daughter walk across the stage and complete her primary education. Three months later, we waved at her as we drove away from her dorm 12 hours away from our front door.
I saw a Banksy in London.
I wept in front of a Monet in Paris.
I ate escargot on the Champs-Élysées.
I walked the narrow streets of Assisi.
I saw Michelangelo's David.
I experienced socialized medicine in Rome with my daughter.
I visited the Italian countryside on which my grandfather fought for his country.
I dozed on the beach in Cancun.
I had wounds that I thought were healed reopen as a brave woman held up her right hand.
I sang on a CD that was critically acclaimed.
I watched dear friends struggle with loss, with health, with finances and with family.
I taught myself how to make carbonara.
I turned 50.
I learned the true meaning of physical pain when I endured an infected tooth.
And despite all the bad stuff, I will look back on 2018 with fondness. I not only “survived”, I grew. I experienced all of the above, absorbed it and tried to use it to better myself and those around me.
There’s only one thing I would change about 2018, but the rest I will use to make 2019 (and beyond) better for my family and for the world. If you are reading this, that means YOU.
I don’t pray flowers and butterflies and perfection for you for 2019. That would not only be boring, but it would be completely unrealistic. I pray for change, for growth and for love. I pray for new people and experiences that you remember for a lifetime. I pray that you endure the pain that this year brings, and that you rest in the joy that is offered. I pray for healing and for peace.
And I pray that at the end of 2019, you will thank this year for its lessons as you welcome 2020 with hope and excitement for the growth to come.