"The Year That Almost Wasn't"

     When King and I rang in New Year's 2018, we had a lovely, and fairly healthy dinner together.  We clinked glasses of Pinot Grigio and Stella Artois and looked at each other hopefully.  We wished for an uneventful year.  Three weeks later, I was battling a lung condition, nicotine withdrawal and missed ten days of school.  I had never missed that many days of work in my entire life. Truth. Luckily, I was able to push the "reset button" and as I learned to do that, it paved the way to handle more challenges for those I love. 

     I have watched so many loved ones this year go through so much.  It was a revolving door of bad news hitting each of us in the posterior.  2018 be gone!  As always, when I begin to worry and experienced what was happening in my personal circle , I watched how others handled their challenges.  I watched and I learned...I learned that the when someone is suffering, we don't turn our backs.  We rally around them.  We contribute and get in their faces with assistance.  We let them know they are not and will not be alone in their strife.  We extended ourselves.  Even though the suffering could not be rectified, we showed how our selflessness produced hope.  Even though the pain was real and the fear was real, in front of the suffering was hope.  Within the pain, I witnessed action.  I witnessed love first hand and it was at the point where I realized that therein was the answer.  Action and love; love and action.  This is all anyone can do.  These are the single ingredients to handling any pain. 

     In a time when anger and rudeness seem to be fashionable and in fact, fashion political success, I think about where I was at the beginning of 2018 and where I am now at the end of 2018.  I didn't see any light at the end of the tunnel six months ago.  I struggled with my health, my loved ones' health, politics, my employment.  There are no "take backs."  We walk the talk.  We find comfort in knowing what we can accept in our personal sphere and what we cannot. If the lines become blurred then we need to take a step back and reevaluate what we need to do to feel better about our situation.  We made tough decisions but hopefully the decisions are made from love and kindness, not out of anger.  We made the tough decisions because anger was the infection.  Love is the antidote.  

     2019 makes no promises to us. We need to keep our motivations in check.  We need to look out for those who can not look out for themselves. There is only our gut intuition and our support from those we love that make any year a joy or a challenge.  Family and friendship comfort us.  Community action raises us to a higher level of strength.  Happy New Year!  Goodbye 2018.  The lessons have been learned.  May peace be within our grasp.   

P.S.  Thanks to all of you who have read my columns.  I am sure there will be much to write about come January!