Happy Holidays to All!
In that time after all the Christmas planning and work is done and until the New Year arrives, I try to look back over the past year and see it all put into the grand scheme of things. It is so hard when you are living in the moment to always appreciate the many lessons life has been trying to teach us. And as I reflect on the year, I finally understand why I feel like a worn out piece of shoe leather.
All combined, I’ve somehow managed to write about million words this year. And yet, I constantly find myself wanting to write more, wishing I had more time for writing, and planning all the things I want to write in the future. Writing has once again become such a powerful force in my life and I am deeply grateful for its presence.
My family is another strong presence in my life, and the last year has seen it grow by leaps and bounds. Not just the kids themselves, but in the numbers as well. 2008 saw the birth of two nieces, both of which bring light and comfort into my life. I have watched all of the kids grow and learn and develop into these remarkable human beings, whom I love and admire immensely.
In 2008 I have also been witness to the growth in my siblings. I’ve been able to see my younger brother finally coming out of the prison his life had become. I’ve watched my youngest brother once again take control of his life and work to make a better place for him and his girls. And I’ve born witness to our baby sister truly coming into her own as an adult, a wife and a mother. She is taking her place in long and treasured line of matriarchs, and stepping up to be a force in her family as the many have before her.
All of this growth and learning, it hasn’t come from quiet reflection and academic exploration. No, it was forged in the fires of the countless struggles we have endured over the last year. The trips to the hospitals, the hours spent in courtrooms, the innumerable sleepless nights, the constant worry and strain of a big family fighting to stay ahead of the curve; we did it all together. The one lesson we were born knowing in this family, and never had to be taught, was that no matter what the cost, someone would always be there. It is the foundation upon which our entire reality rests. Someone will always be there.
Somehow, during all of that turmoil and joy, I managed to once again hop around the country to increase my travel experiences. I made a few trips down to visit in Texas, out to Atlanta for my annual Dragon*Con experience, to Maryland for sharing friendship and fun on the beach (and little side trip to see the family), and then out to Ohio to visit with friends and to finally learn how to appreciate the place I have long maligned (though mostly just to irritate someone). It was a highly successful travel year, without any real mishaps, I went to at least one new place, and rediscovered an old one. The next two years are likely to be a little leaner, so I was glad that this one worked out so well.
I don’t have any children, and my vices truly are few, but I do love to travel and meet new people. I also love to costume, and this love feeds the other, because many of my travels involve my costume activities. It enables me to travel to new places, old places, and to visit with family and friends. Surprisingly, I only managed one costumed trip this year, but I did fit in quite a few events and even got two new costumes put together. At Starfest this year we were finally able to fully unfurl the Snarkiteer banner, and we were met with cheers and jeers throughout (as any good Snarkiteer should). Also at Starfest, we met the Saturday crowds in full force with our Dead Red Shirt Brigade, in memory of all the poor hapless souls cursed to wear the Red Shirt on Star Trek. Dragon*Con didn’t see much in the way of costuming, but my Foam Sabers debuted in the Padawan Temple to a grateful audience. And then, in ways I cannot even fathom, someone actually convinced me that participating in the Strawberry Shortcake & Friends project would be a great idea, and so I was dressed up like Huckleberry Pie for the annual Halloween party at WOTR. I am still claiming brainwashing for that one. ;) All in all, it was a great year for costuming, and I enjoyed every single moment of it!
My big accomplishments/events for the year include our first ever float entry at the Denver St. Patty’s Day Parade, getting Leif a date using Snarkiteer wiles, spending a few days on the beach with friends, learning about true friendship at Dragon*Con when some miscreant stole my cane, our charity premiere for The Clone Wars, being the only person in the house who ever watched Smokey the Bear so I could tell them how to put the grease fire out during a party, the births of my nieces, the friendships I’ve made, the work I’ve done, and the fact that I can still breathe in and breathe out to make it through another day.
Thank you all for sharing this past year with me. LJ and the people I have found here have brought so much joy and inspiration into my life I cannot even begin to express it well enough to match its meaning. Each of you is dear in my heart and I thank you from the bottom of it for allowing me to share this experience with you.