Boy what a difference a year makes. Last New Year's Eve, hubs and I found out breast cancer was found on my MRI, we committed hubs's father to a lock down psychiatric unit to get control of his dementia PTSD, hubs found out his brain tumor was back although still not as big as 11 years ago when he last had it debulked, hubs was recuperating from prostate cancer, and hub's mother had 3 strokes - yep all on New Year's Eve. Last year hubs and I pretty much looked at each other, ordered pizza and just snuggled.
This year, although I am still in a cast and non-weight bearing, we refused to do any tests or go anywhere although hubs had a surgery to do in the am. We kept things really low key. We didn't have any special meal - hubs had spaghetti with meat sauce, breaded artichoke, and garlic bread. Neither of us drank. We just peacefully watched a movie and then the apple drop in NY, the peach drop in Atlanta, and then the ball drop in Chicago. We had the grand doggies and we were all snuggled on our bed with Trouble who has decided to switch days and nights.
Last night as I looked back on the past year, even with my 3 surgeries, FIL's 2 hospitalizations, MIL's broken arm and shingles, my mother's shingles and decreasing health, and so many other numerous things, I realized something important - we lived through it all and we did it together. We were blessed then to have each other. Every single thing happened for a reason and although we don't know what some of those reasons are, we survived. That is what life and a new year is all about. I am glad I had the year to live with my husband, children, family, and friends and yes, even animals.
I leave you with a few quotes and thoughts for the coming year:
Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man.
~Benjamin Franklin
An optimist stays up until midnight to see the new year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves.
~Bill Vaughan
Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.
~Mark Twain
Throw your dreams into space like a kite, and you do not know what it will bring back, a new life, a new friend, a new love, a new country.
~Anais Nin
And the best:
If you want to test your memory, try to recall what you were worrying about one year ago today.
~E. Joseph Cossman
I wish everyone who reads this blog a very Happy New Year!
