What a (Bleeping) Year It's Been

so, i know the play "rent" is a bit over the top and ridiculous and deserves being poked at and parodied (hysterically) by the southpark guys in "team america," but the main song is very catchy. like a virus. (oh no she didn't...but she did! she totally did!).

this song, "seasons of love" conveys the length of a given year in not only seasons or months, weeks, or days, but in minutes. five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes, to be exact.

in so many ways, that many minutes flies by. a year is nothing in a lifetime! on the other hand, when there are hard times in that year, they can accumulate and it can seem like an arduous, impossibly long amount of time.

so, all that being said...since last august, one year ago, the following has occurred...

i was hospitalized for a week with a long recovery thereafter. i've had 2 miscarriages- one at 11 wks gestation, one at 6. one grandpa was diagnosed and treated for colon cancer with a long recovery and complications thereafter. the other grandpa was diagnosed with lung cancer and we're still waiting to get a plan. my dad blew out a disk and had back surgery with a long recovery and complications thereafter. my one grandma had to have shoulder surgery. the same previously mentioned dad ran for (cool!) and lost (bummer!) a US congressional seat in a very intense and heated battle.

all that! one year! crazy. so we can look at this huge pile of stress and wonder just how we survived all those 500 hundred thousand some odd moments this year.

on the other hand, we've had many blessings mixed in there as well. not the least being that strife brings people together. i've never felt as close to some of my family. everyone bands together so well, bringing their own unique strengths and skills. it's really neat to see. i heart them.

and these survivors in my family. all of us, i guess, in our own ways. we inspire me. good job, us! :)

and THANK YOU, GOD. we are all together and mostly healed and filled with love and grace. so much thanks.

...so, i wonder what the next year will hold?! you'll have to keep reading, i guess. :)