The year in which I triumph….

It’s a new day, a new year. Well technically, it’s the 3rd new day of the new year, but who’s counting anyway?? Probably my Sister… <wink>

I’ve looked back on the last year and to tell you the truth, it has sort of sucked. Here’s a short recap of the year’s events.

• January: Found out MDO was in jeopardy of closing.
• February: Found out Dad had cancer.
• March: Pretty much the same as February.
• April and May: Wrapping up the closing of the school and the end of my much loved job.
• June: Went to see Dad and visited during his Chemo treatments.
• July: July was actually a pretty good month.
• August: School started and I got to experience my first school day alone. Heaven!
• September: 2 birthdays and lots of school activities, and the news that our dear friend Matt has lymphoma.
• October: I can’t really remember October, except the last part of the month. I do know it felt pretty long and I thought it would never end. I did make a halloween dinner and then promptly got sick. Coincidence?
• November: November brought a painful personal crisis, but somehow I made it through and am stronger for it.
• December: Filled with lots of change and drama; new jobs for both my Sister and I, Sister decides to move to Utah, Christmas without family again this year, tight finances, car repairs, arthritis in my foot and general anxiety about life.

This brings us back to January. Reading the highlights or lowlights doesn’t seem so bad, but the emotional rollercoaster that our family went through with our Dad’s cancer diagnosis, threw us all in a tailspin. I think it’s been the hardest year of my life.

I can’t even say I am willing to make resolutions about going to the gym more, losing weight, or any other thing I think I’ve failed at and want to be better about. I wouldn’t mean it if I did.

I don’t know what this year will bring, but I hope and pray it’s better than last year. I think the best thing to come out of this year is the closeness I feel with my Dad. The possibility of death can bring people closer together with a sense of urgency. I want to squeeze in as much time with my Dad as I can. I feel so blessed that I was able to see him twice this year and got to spend some quality time with him. I’ve been praying that his cancer will be all gone when his next PET scan is done at the end of this month. I think I’ll even throw a party when he comes to visit us in February when he tells us the good news!

I pray you much health and happiness in the next 12 months. In the mean time, I’ll meet you back here regularly to update you and fill you in on the strange going-ons in my brain. I can’t guarentee they’ll always make sense or be intelligent, but I can promise they’ll be amusing at least.
Until then, I leave you with my slogan for the year: “CANCER BENIGN IN 2009”

Love,