It seems as though everyone is grateful to be saying goodbye to 2016. I get it. War and terrorism. Politics and public disgraces. Publically declared racism and hatred. Shootings and bombings. Science warring with religion. And what seemed like a new celebrity death every day. It's comforting to try and gather all that and box it up neatly in 2016 and hope that 2017 will somehow be different. People will suddenly be reasonable. The general public will understand what the second amendment actually means. Everyone will decide to see past their differences and peacefully agree to disagree. Things could get better. But to be honest, it's hard to believe at the moment. Things out in the world seem grim.
So with these last few hours of the year winding down, I'd like to focus on the positive and remember just how much I/we have to be grateful for. So here they are:
TOP TEN AWESOME THINGS ABOUT 2016
10. I got a new awesome job that renewed my love for what I do.
9. I ran. A lot. Faster than I ever have. It may have only been by a little bit. But still, it was faster, and it felt awesome.
8. My kids got taller and smarter and no one got kicked out of school or got scurvy from not eating vegetables or poked an eye out.
7. I learned to love.....ok, accept and tolerate my new mini van. It doesn't define me. Right, guys?.....
6. I completely failed at reading and writing as much as I wanted. And that's ok. The year was filled with other amazing and time-consuming things like travel and wedding planning and knitting baby blankets for new little bundles of joy. So while writing was on the list of things I really wanted to do, I'm more than ok with the other things that took up that time.
5. Getting engaged and then married to a man who brings me flowers, understands my love of avocados, always believes in me, willing supports my Starbucks habit and has promised to never, ever make me go camping.
4. Green tea lattes.
3. I survived an entire year without cheese. And milk. And Reece's peanut butter cups. Tomorrow marks one year as a vegan. I won't make the arguments here or try and sell it in any way. I will only say that it's the right choice for me and I couldn't be happier about it.
2. I got a new step son. He is witty and funny and too smart for his own good. I don't always understand him, and I'm sure he doesn't always understand me. But he, and his handsome dad, have turned us from a family of 3 into a family of 5. It's louder, happier, crazier, sillier and busier than ever. And I love it.
1. There is still a chance that Donald Trump will get distracted by something shiny on his way to the White House and never show up. It could happen. Fingers crossed.
Happy New Year!
