Counting down to 2012

In 5 days a brand new year will begin.  I love New Years Day.  It always feels like a fresh start.  While I don’t make resolutions per se, I do take some time every year end to assess the last year and plan for the next one.   There’s something very fulfilling about taking out a brand new calendar, a brand new day planner knowing that at 365 days from then there will be notations and appointments and various gatherings that will become part of the fabric of my life.   Painful memories will have been healed a little more and new memories will take their place.  Some friends will fade into the past and new friends will emerge.  There will be births, and weddings, and graduations and anniversaries to celebrate with family and friends.  And there will be deaths and divorces and other challenges to remind us to embrace the joys in life for there will also be trials. 

It’s always interesting to try to predict what kinds of changes and challenges I will look back on a year from now.  So much can happen in a year.  For one thing, I will be getting married in 2012.  I would not have predicted that as I sat alone on January 1, 2011, resigned to the fact that I was single and had no “prospects”.  Little did I know that getting back into the dating scene, jumpstarted by making myself start to “take some risks” i.e.speeddating , on line dating…..that I would not only have some “chapter worthy “ dating experiences to add to my book, but that I would meet and fall in love with Joe.  I expected , hoped even to have some good dates and make some good friends along the way.  I didn’t expect to hit the jackpot.  Lucky, lucky me.  And Joe. 

I wouldn’t have expected to renew and cherish some of the friendships that I have made by getting involved in the class of 76 reunion planning.  I wouldn’t have expected to have so many oppurtunities to perform.   The fundraisers, banquets, reunion, comedy club, speeddating and folly performances were some of my best times last year.  I absolutely love to make people laugh.  It’s a gift..and a calling.

I wouldn’t have expected to be asked to and to actually PREACH 2 services at my Church last year. I use the word preach loosely because certainly my biblical knowledge is limited.  But I spoke from my heart and it felt good to be able to share some of my thoughts on faith. 

I wouldn’t have expected to actually stick to an exercise and diet goal and take off 40 pounds.  But I did. Slowly but surely and with the help of my # 1 encouragement coach Brad I did it.  And have kept it off.  And plan to start anew next week and lose 40 more over the next year.

I wouldn’t have expected to be working for a different boss because I planned to work with Lynelle forever.  Some things, like layoffs and  change of ownership you can’t control and while I am grateful to have my job still, I still grieve the loss of that working relationship on a daily basis.  She was an amazing mentor and friend.  Thankfully, still a friend but the day to day banter is gone.

I’ve reconnected with cousins I haven’t seen in years and some that I have never even met in person through that awesome thing called facebook.  Say what you will about it.  I am a big fan of social networking. It has been an amazing tool in a fast paced world for keeping in touch with people I care about.

I wonder what 2012 will bring.  What surprises are in-store for me this year?  Family weddings (besides my own?)  new babies (a grandchild would be pretty awesome..hint,hint .   I am hopeful that my house will sell so that Joe and I can move to the country.  I am hopeful that Andy will continue to thrive in his new job and that the “girl of his dreams” comes into his life soon.  Whatever blessings this new year brings I am grateful for in advance.    

The older I get, the more I realize that the things you have aren’t nearly as valuable as you think and the things money can’t buy are the true riches in life.  Faith, Family, friends, freedom, opportunity, health to name a few.May 2012 bring each of you an abundance of those things.