It’s just now sinking in that it’s the last day not just of the year, but also of the decade. And what a decade it was…my life changed in so many ways. I lost my dad and my grandmother, moved across the country, found a career, gained another sister and another brother, a niece and a couple more nephews, made new friends, reconnected with old ones, visited new corners of the world, returned to places I thought I’d left behind forever, and met and married my wonderful husband and got a whole new family.

Funny how you get so busy getting through the day-to-day, you forget that you are also crafting a life. Before this new decade is out, I will have turned 50—a sobering thought. So, on top of everything else, I hope that I’ve also gotten to know myself a bit better and gained a little more wisdom. A happy and healthy new year to all, and here’s to the 2020s!