Happy New Year

Well many of you have written fabulous year in reviews, that I've quite enjoyed reading. I feel this year doesn't need me to go back over it. So I'm just going to go back and tell you about my christmas and wish you a very Happy 2010.

I actually had a pretty quiet and relaxed Christmas. I stayed at my parents for the whole time and it was really nice to be there and relax. Just lots of time for visiting, relaxing and playing games with the people who matter most, family. Boxing Day with the Ginther family cousins all get together and we had a good time.

Sadly the next day brought the sad news that our Great Aunt Elsie had passed away. She will be greatly missed but illness had meant the last few years had greatly robbed her of her quality of life so in some ways it's good to know she's in a much happier place. She had a gentle servant heart which meant she served for 70 years as church organist and taught Sunday School at least that long. She didn't make big waves or do big things but quietly lived a faith filled life of simplicity. There's a lot of things I'm taking from her life but I'm still processing through them, looking for the ways she's impacted me.

New Year's was a mixed evening, lots of people I didn't expect came and those I would have had different plans. For some reason the new year was harder than Christmas for me. Part of it was seeing so many familiar faces missing brought home the reality that I didn't just loose my husband but I also lost my comfortable life. I once had some friends say they would only be friends with people that were like them. At the time this statement angered and perplexed me, but I think I'm beginning to understand that they were just expressing a ugly truth.

For many years, I've struggled to grasp how come it feels that friendship causes more hurt than joy in my life? Why so often the person you swear is your best friend today will drift away from you tomorrow? I'm realizing it's not because you stop caring for one another, it's because your lives have changed. So the true measure of friendship isn't how often you're together or what you share but what happens when you fall down. So I've realized my feeling hurt because not everyone I expected to see at New Year's wasn't there is silly. What mattered was they were there earlier last year when I really needed it.

The next year brings many changes and that means friendships may drift, people get busy with their own lives, I'll be moving away and in the end that doesn't mean we aren't friends just that life has gotten in the way. No matter what though if any of you fall down, I'll come help pick you up. In the end that's all that matters.

Well it's late, I'm hungry so I'll end sharing my wish that 2010 brings you lots of joy, adventures, time with friends and family and many good memories.

Best Wishes!