I know it's January 5th, but I am just now getting to the blog post where I reflect on the past year, talk about what I've learned, and make goals for the new year. Better late than never, right?
2011 was an interesting year, to say the least. There were ups and downs, that's for sure, and so many changes. There was love, there was loss, and at times it was difficult to handle all that was going on around me. At the end of the day, though, I think the best thing we can do is to learn from our experiences and take that knowledge with us as we continue on throughout our lives.
When I say that there was "loss" in 2011 I guess it means a variety of different things, but mostly it means that God took two great men from this earth who are deeply missed by many. The first was Jim, my boss for the last seven years at the candy store I started working at in high school. I blogged about it back in October when it happened, but I don't think I realized the enormity of the loss until Christmas this year. I wasn't initially planning to go back to the store this year what with having a "real job" and all, but I knew Jim's wife, Janene, could use some extra help and moral support. It was definitely weird to be there and not have Jim there. It didn't feel the same and our typically joyful Christmas Eve feast was definitely missing a huge component. On the other hand, though, we laughed...a lot. There was never a dull moment between trying to figure out what to do when one of the machines broke (that was always Jim's job) or creating an awesome batch of caramels. There were the butter creams that were a little too creamy, and there were several hours I spent rolling out creams and truffles, just like Jim taught me. I never thought I would be doing those things without him, but had to smile at the memories of him teaching me. The number of customers who came in expressing their sympathy and sadness at the loss of Jim is truly a testament to how much he was and is loved.
Another loss came more recently. My dad's mom, Mimi, is a twin and is best friends with her sister, my Aunt Nancy. My Mimi and Papa and Aunt Nanci and her husband, Uncle Dick, did so much together. They came to all of our family gatherings and were basically like another set of grandparents to us. My Uncle Dick had not been doing well lately, suffering from a heart attack over the summer. Unfortunately he suffered another one at the end of November and passed away. The funeral was difficult, as all of us great-nieces and nephews participated in a reading, and my part was to remind everyone at the funeral that my Uncle Dick loved everyone there...and the truth is, he really did. I can honestly say without being dramatic or exaggerating that my life would be so incredibly different if it weren't for my Uncle Dick. The land my parents' house is built on was owned by him. My parents were looking at buying land in Wadsworth when they had a conversation with my uncle and he gave them a really good deal on this land that he owned (when I say "really good deal" I mean my mom threw out a random number joking around and he said, "okay!"). If it weren't for him I would not have grown up in Akron, gone to Woodridge, or met many of the people who play a huge role in my life now. Because of his generosity I grew up in a home I love in an area I love and created some awesome friendships along the way. Uncle Dick was able to make it to my parents' anniversary party in October and could not have seemed happier to be there. I am so thankful to have that last memory with him.
2011 was also a year of big changes. I graduated with my Master's Degree on my birthday in May, which was super exciting, and had already accepted a job doing something I loved. At the end of July I moved a little under two hours away from home to work as a counselor at a small university. It was definitely an adjustment moving that far from home without knowing anyone, and I was anxious about how things would be. With that being said, the adjustment to such a small town has taken some time, but the people I work with are great. Around the same time that I moved, one of my best friends got engaged and moved to LA! I am so incredibly happy for her, but the three hour time difference makes it hard to connect sometimes, and I find myself missing our friendship. There were so many other changes, as well, but I feel as though that is way too much to get into at this point!
All in all, 2011 had its moments, but I am so excited that it is a new year and I am ready to take it by storm. The first crazy, stupid, impulsive decision I made of 2012 was to register for the Cleveland Half-Marathon on May 20th. I figured that last year I graduated with my Master's on my birthday, I had to do something even more exciting this year (since I'll be 25 and all), so why not a half-marathon? I'll tell you why: because I am not a runner...yet! Goal is to start training tomorrow, and maybe in 20 weeks I'll be ready! Other than that, I'm just hoping to make the most out of 2012. I'm not going to wait around for opportunities anymore, but instead create them for myself. I want to make the most of every moment I'm given, and appreciate the little things. I'm trying to start the year with a more positive outlook (I can tell you I definitely did not do that last year) and live my life the way I want it to. I have some other more long-term goals in my mind, and who knows whether or not I'll accomplish them in the upcoming years. All I know is that right now I'm ready to turn things around and make 2012 the best that I can. I realize now that how my year is, how each day is really, is only determined by me: my attitudes, my actions, my reactions. I'm ready to take it on.
