Thoughts on 2016

Dear Friends,

I started writing this while sitting at a nondescript desk, in a hotel room, processing all that 2016 has delivered. To so many of us, it has been a year of disappointments where youthful optimism, no matter what our age, has been shattered by the loss of so many who were so influential.

2016 has done many things: tested my faith; made me question my relationship with God; question my fellow man; fear there was no kindness left in the world; wonder what I am doing with my life; ask if I should continue writing; and those are just a few of the things I’ve been thinking about.

Nearly two weeks ago, we lost my husband’s closest friend and my son’s Godfather. I still haven’t stopped crying. Now as I sit here to think about what 2016 has meant to me after hearing about the shock felt ’round the universe with the passing of Carrie Fisher, followed by her mother. I dressed up as Princess Leia for Halloween in 1977 just two days after my 5th birthday, complete with blonde buns and white dress. She is still my favorite and I am so incredibly sad her star has gone out.

That’s the thing about this year. I’m pretty deep into the pop culture sphere and a recent article shared the 128 celeb deaths of this year. This isn’t a full count of literary and UK folks on my radar, but those numbers alone equal 1 death every 2.85 days. Throw it into the social media 48-120 hour lifecycle and we’re in a constant state of mourning.

Top things off with this year’s election and we’re all exhausted. No matter what your politics are, the fake news and horrible behavior of people on both sides makes me wish for kinder days when people still believed in the Golden Rule and applied it to daily life.

I’m exhausted and, my friends, I know you are too.

I think this poem by Ogden Nash is particularly poignant this year:

‘Tonight’s December thirty-first,
Something is about to burst.
The clock is crouching, dark and small,
Like a time bomb in the hall.
Hark, it’s midnight, children dear.
Duck! Here comes another year!’
– Ogden Nash, 1929

As for me, I’m looking forward to what the first minutes and hours of the new year brings. Hopeful optimism. It is my hope that we can take a deep cleansing breath and remember we have 365 days and with that 365 new chances. Let’s make each one of those days count.

I’ve met wonderful people, have worked with some amazing companies, and I have friends who love me for me (no easy feat) and support me in my every endeavor. My family is the greatest, and even though we might drive each other crazy, we still love each other to pieces.

I don’t know where I will be this time next year, none of us do. God willing, I’ll be here, as will you. Until then friends, I wish you the complements of the season and will see you in 2017.

With much love,

Lisa