The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: Reflections on The Year That Sucked.

Now that's a title to make you want to jump right in, huh?!

It's the last day of this suckish year however, so of course that means a bit of time for reflection. Auld Lang Syne and all that.

It was actually hard right off to think of the good that has been part of this year. Just one of the reasons that this year sucks is that the Ugly seems to eclipse the good and fabulous. But let's be honest - the way the year ends is really what you remember the most, right?

The Good.
The Princess Graduated High School and started her gap year working at Starbucks.(coffee always appears on the 'good' list!)
We had a fabulous vacation in New Orleans with my big sis, Baz and Mitch.
I ran my first 5k and 10k races.
The kids got a fabulous new bathroom (but that's connected to a'bad'list item!)
Mitch got engaged (congratulations again!)
Simey got the metal contraption off his leg and just has a boot (again though - connected to an 'ugly')
Piet's sister and husband surprised him for Christmas and flew over (they are still here with us!)

Those last three on the list happened just this month - so fresh goodies!

The Bad.
Piet had to fly home to Australia to be with family (see the first on the Ugly list)
I got to work with the health care system here much more closely than I ever would have cared to (see the next in the Ugly list)
We had some calls to the school in the first half of the year for the Princess - 'nuff said!
The kids bathroom needed a complete gut and reno because of a leak.

And The Ugly.
Piet's brother Simon's horrendous motor bike accident.
The months of testing, phone calls and doctor/specialist visits that resulted in the tumor that is Fred being diagnosed.

Now when I look at these lists I see that the good has so much more in there - but those will not be what this year is remembered for.
And when I think back to the start of this year, there is no way that I would have imagined most any of the bad and ugly happening. So there is a bit of me that is glad that its over, and another that is hoping that I have learnt from it.
I feel more loved than ever - from both family and friends, both near and far. And I think that I appreciate what life offers more than ever too. Kind of morbidly realizing that it is such a gift that we do take for granted all too much.

So thanks for sharing a little part of what this year looked like.
And if you made it this far, you KNOW you deserve a reward....



Hugs until next year
Megan