Two weeks ago I thought I'd be writing to say good-bye, but here I am, trying again to create something for you all to read, and leave not feeling you've wasted your time here.
Yesterday one of my Spanish readers (actually an American living in Spain most of the year)told me she was glad I decided to continue. A former exchange student living in Belgium said the same thing. So I'll keep trying.
It was an interesting year. Mostly good, some not so good. One of the good things was a family wedding in late July where nearly all of our family was there, together for a few days. Some went early and stayed all week, others arrived right before the wedding and left the day after. My ONLY regret is that we didn't get one good picture with all of us together. We have some with MOST of the family, and one group one that, for some unknown reason, had really bad lighting so the faces aren't good. But in spite of that, it was fun seeing my nephews, spending time with my sisters and brother and enjoying a lovely outdoor wedding held on a beautiful day.
For the third year in a row, my job hasn't gone well. Since the economy took a nosedive, my sales have gone down and here I am, three years later, earning about half of what I made then. There's been no extra money for the things I normally pay for, including trips. My husband and I haven't been on a vacation together for about 7 years. I was hoping that things would improve and I could put a little aside for a long weekend this year. It's not going to happen. I still wish that being retirement age meant relaxing and DOING things instead of worrying about having enough money every week.
The thing is this...we're better off than many people. Yesterday I heard on the DC news that 200,000 children in Washington DC go to bed hungry every night. I can't imagine how many of those children are homeless, or how many homeless adults there are in DC (or any other city) who go to bed hungry. We don't go to bed hungry. Our house is warm and we have clean clothing every day. I DO have a job, unlike so many others, even if it pays me less every year. This year, I hope to be less upset at what I don't have and be happier with what I DO have. In the past year, I've allowed people to hurt me with their words, intended or not, and when it comes right down to it, it really doesn't matter. What matters is that the people who care about me DO treat me well.
So do your thing tonight on New Year's Eve. Go to a movie, go out with friends, or just stay home and watch the ball drop. Or go to bed early and get up tomorrow well-rested and ready to enjoy the year to come.
It's all about choices. The ones we make and the ones made for us. We can't change how people treat us but we can choose how we react to it. We can make the new year better or stay the same. It's all about choice.
Happy New Year!!
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