another year is over. it sounds trivial, but time does fly so fast.

in random order, these are the things i learned (again) this past year:

God is faithful, even if i am not.

things can get difficult but love makes things easier.

my kids can be extremely adorable and can be the opposite of adorable. sometimes, in a matter of seconds. amazingly, i still have more than enough love for them.

nothing beats being told “i love you” in the most unexpected places, at the most unexpected times.

work can be tiring, but the personal rewards, priceless.

real friends are great blessings.

co-workers can be irresponsible, but i don’t have to be like them.

the beauty of a new year is that i can always look forward to making better choices.

nothing can change love between families. not even absence. not even silence.

i can do, or not do anything in particular, i can say or not say something specific, and other people can still dislike me, or not want to talk to me.

life is too short. feeling bad about something i can’t change will not really make me happier or make my life longer.

i can’t eat like a pig and expect to be sexy.

…that’s why i’m doing something about it.
so, if you feel like it, go ahead, cheer me on!
i’ll need it, and will be deeply grateful.

here’s hoping that your past year was filled with lessons more sensible than mine.

here’s wishing  that your plans for the new year excite you, the way anticipating to open your christmas gifts excited you when you were still a  kid and knew nothing about stress.

thanks to all blogger friends who comment and who always seem to know what to say when work and life gets in the way of living.

thanks to all others who email me with their thoughts.

(i was gonna tell you where i got my gown, but i remember this is not the oscar, and i didn’t actually win anything.)