The Things We Gained

If you are reading this, it is probably no surprise to you that 2013 was… challenging… for our family.  I  suppose I should have just settled myself in for 12 months of turmoil when the year started out with our little asthmatic being admitted on only the 5^th day of the year, though I distinctly remember thinking to myself, “well, at least we got the worst out of the way early!”  “ha ha” said 2013.

While the “Things 2013 Took” list is far too long to write about, I can’t sit here on December 31^st and not contemplate the worst of the year.  We lost a Grandfather.  We lost an Aunt.  We lost sleep, health, a car, and some sanity.  We lost money.  We lost jobs.  We lost many more inconsequential things: a garage door, a shower, a sink, and some dishes.  I personally lost about 4 weeks’ total time at work because I was physically unable to be there.  We lost a great many things, and if I try to consider the enormity of a few and the sum total of them all, it’s not a very happy place to be.

But, in reflecting on The Year That Was, I also find myself thinking about the things we gained in 2013.  Some weight and more than a few gray hairs to be sure, but also, most importantly, we gained Perspective.  Perspective on what is truly, most fundamentally important in life.  We gained appreciation: for our parents, our siblings, our families, our friends, and for each other.  We gained appreciation for our supportive co-workers, flexible jobs, and the excellent education(s) that helped us arrive at this privileged place.

We gained love.  We gained togetherness.  We gained communication.  We gained confidence.  We gained courage.  And oddly, we gained the gift of time.  Between my confinement in bed, Husband’s between-job status, and holiday vacation days recently, the great gift Mike and I have gained has been time together.  What a rare and valuable gift for two full time working parents of a young child.

The people we lost we will remember fondly as the years roll on.  And the rest of it is just stuff.  Stuff that’s either not important and/or replaceable, and let’s be honest, “retirement” isn’t even a word in our lexicon with 10+ years of student loans still to pay off.  So we give thanks that we have the means to fix what needs fixing and appreciation for the perspective to know what we can do without.

So for all of you who have prayed for us, thought of us, sang for us, emailed us, texted us, laughed with us, cried with us, cooked for us, distracted us, and otherwise just been there, we say Thank You.

In the end, I think 2013 was truly a mixed bag.  There was some really great parts, some not so great parts, and other parts, well…. Let us never speak of them again.  There are some things I will truly miss about this year, but I must say I am mostly glad to put it in the rear view mirror.

Happy 2014 everyone.