What Kind of Year Has It Been

So.

2016, am I right?

What is there to say about this year? I’ve been alive for a good number of them now, and I can’t recall ever encountering a year quite like this. Despite the good that has happened, the bad far outweighs it. The sheer number of celebrity deaths is astounding, and I have to wonder if the same exorbitant number also happened to people we’ve never heard about. So many figures who have shaped our lives have passed, and the sadness that accompanies the mourning is great.

The political situation. Here in America. In England…I’ve made it a point to be as well educated in this area as I can be, and my paltry knowledge exceeds a lot of people in this regard, and even I don’t fully understand the deep ramifications these situations will produce. No one truly does, I think. Talk about a lasting impact. The years to come will be a dark and dangerous time.

Aleppo. The massacre at Pulse. The Dakota access pipeline. Flint’s water. People of color gunned down in cold blood. So many other terrible things…

Our world was forever changed this year. And not necessarily for the good.

My personal life hasn’t been all roses either. I don’t talk about my personal life a whole lot, and there are reasons for that. But it’s been trying as well. Issues with my older brother. A beloved uncle’s health is failing fast. The unstable and incredibly upsetting day job.

I know I’m not alone in waiting for this year to be over and sending fervent wishes into the universe the next year is far better.

I saw a Tweet I’m holding hope on, by Maureen Johnson, which read “Maybe 2016 is the year a lot of heroes were born and we just don’t know yet.”

But there is good. There are people who reach out a hand to those who need it, stand up when other’s can’t, give and give and give until they have nothing left and then give some more. We see it, and we’re seeing more of it. And that gives me hope too.

And the positives in my own life? I’ve knitted tons of things, for myself, which I love (and fed my yarn addiction an obscene amount). I’ve written five stories, published three, am waiting to hear on the other two, and have begun another. I self pubbed for the first time. My sales have been steadily climbing. My family is still here. I have some very close friends who support me and cheer me on, and mean the absolute world to me. A BFF who is unwavering in loyalty, straight talking, and love. I’m fairly healthy. I have furbabies who are a constant comfort, and a new puppy to shower with love.

The good and the bad are unbalanced right now, but I truly believe it will head back in the other direction. When? I can’t say for sure. But I know it will.

For all of you who have struggled this year, it is my sincerest wish is that next year is vastly better, and that each year that follows continues to improve.

Hang in there. Find joy where you can. Take care of yourself.