My girlfriend answered a call while we were driving home from Christmas shopping, which isn’t rude since we’re friends and it is the Holiday Season to be gracious.
I politely looked out the window and the dark scenery flying past us and gave a conscious prayer up that her competency in driving extended to multi-tasking. Naturally, I tried not to eaves drop on her conversation but it was a bit difficult in such close proximity.
Then I felt myself cringe - an automatic response it seems when I heard her comment on how 2009 “sucked” and good riddance to the year.
Immediately I thought of the 12 months, or 52 weeks, or 365 days, and worse, the 8,760 hours, 525,600 minutes, 31,536,000 seconds in 2009, and really wondered about her statement that every moment gifted to her in 2009 sucked?
Out of work, my friends creative energy prevailed and she produced the most glorious of vegetable and flower gardens, turned her yard into a quaint and charming escape with benches and ornamental surprises throughout. She “garbage picked” and refinished beautiful end tables and wood chairs and benches that led to others searching her out to refinish their treasures.
She unearthed her stored photos and wall décor and converted her basement room into a comfortable living room adding to her “living and entertaining” space.
She rallied and supervised several “emergency” events providing generous amounts of her time and her culinary expertise easing her friends and families hardships.
Working in the Medical field, she was and still is constantly called upon by friends for advise and care of any and all injuries and ailments’ and personally sees through with her advice and expertise (even my daughter privately benefited from her I found out later with concerns she had).
I know for a fact that whether we are on the phone or visiting in person, there has been laughter along with tears, stress, and worry. We’ve shared in each others triumphs as well as our disappointments and expectations; picked each other up when necessary, encouraged and supported each other the entire year.
2009 sucked? I beg to differ. Perhaps we haven’t met our goals, don’t feel any closer to accomplishing our dreams, haven’t added to our financial security as we vision; yet if I take a look back at the year I have grown.
Wittingly or unwittingly, consciously or unconsciously there has been growth, there has been success and forward movement. I’ve obtained knowledge I didn’t have before; met new people who have become friends or are on the way to becoming my friend; kicking and screaming sometimes, I’ve elevated my thoughts and opinion of myself from mediocre to someone who matters, who is unique and one of a kind - JUST AS ALL OF US ARE.
Even in failure I’ve learned.
My accomplishments or lack of accomplishing doesn’t define me, rather I look to what I’ve learned about myself, my weaknesses and strengths, what I’ve discovered to be important and what I used to believe was important turns out to be insignificant really.
To Be Continued…feel free to take a look back at your 2009 moments while I continue to pour out my next thoughts!
