A Year in Review 2016

I don't blog much anymore, it's true. And while I am not sorry to say good-bye to 2016, it didn't seem right to skip my annual Year in Review post. You know, because Facebook just doesn't seem to tell the whole story. So here it is. No filters, no apologies, this is my (totally self-centered) look back on 2016. My so-called Birthday Fun Year was not the best.

1. Successfully made it to Will's 5th birthday which we celebrated in the backyard nary a bounce house in sight.
2. Wept and mourned the loss of Tim's father, my father-in-law, while becoming acutely aware of my own parents' mortality, something I hadn't allowed myself to consider before. 
3. Began my first non-consultant, full time role at Microsoft & thought it wouldn't be that different than before. Was wrong. 
4. Worked hard, learned constantly, grew professionally, made mistakes, made change, made strides, made more mistakes, and finally felt like I have made it. 
5. Ran another half marathon, better time, better run, but overall didn't feel the joy that running brought me in 2015.  
6. Struggled with the loss of the election, the loss of family, the loss of faith, the loss of hope, the loss of the will to fight. 
7. Watched the sun come up on many quiet mornings sparking the memory of my faith, my hope, and my will to fight for equality, justice, and love.  
8. Celebrated my 40th birthday with Girls Weekends to Austin and Herron Island plus a Vegas weekend with Tim, and a family weekend to the Washington coast. 
9. Celebrated my 40th birthday with a (preeeetty hazy) Greenwood pub crawl. 
10. Realized that a birthday fun WEEK is a much more manageable celebration for someone in their '40s. 
11. Deeply embraced my feminism and began a path of learning about inclusion, unconscious bias, microaggressions, and equality. 
12. Started making plans for our home remodel and truly became a fully formed adult. 
13. Bought my dream car.
14. Fell on some black days.
15. Willed my kid strength and courage as he struggled - and continues to struggle -  through his first few months of Kindergarten. 
16. Swelled with pride as my kid demonstrated empathy and emotional intelligence by offering
    
    money to the less fortunate, choosing to help the homeless, and understanding that classroom bullies are sad. 
17. Seethed with frustration and irritation at that same kid taking his own good fortune for granted, suggesting he "could just buy a new winter coat" after losing his at school, or asking for food he doesn't eat. 
18. Reveled in the conversations I had with my kid, the things he shared with me, and the path our relationship is taking as he changed from preschooler to gradeschooler. 
19. Marked the year of the extended Family Vacation visiting my family in Florida in February, Tim's family in Folly Beach in July, and then back to Florida for a Disney trip with my family in November.& decided that was too many extended Family Vacations for one year. 
20. Felt the hole in my long-dusty gypsy soul rip a little wider as yet another year passed without any international travel. 
21. Struggled with balance as usual, but this year it was balance between career and parenthood and battling feelings that I'm really not doing either one very well. 
22. Wept and mourned the loss of two of the composers of the soundtrack of my life, Prince & Bowie, not because I knew them, but because "they helped me know myself". 
23. Deeply appreciated and celebrated the women in my life & the way they inspire me, challenge me, and make me a better person each & every day. (You know who you are.)
24. Often felt busy and overwhelmed leading me to seek more quiet and solitude and space than usual. 
25. Even on my darkest days, remembered that I am the luckiest person in the world & was grateful for all that I have, all that I am, and all that's to come.

Non, je ne regrette rien. Except for running out of room before I could include "Drank a lot of great wine" on this list. xx