Friday, December 18, 2015

Reflecting on 2015

With life as hectic as it is sometimes, there is often little time for reflection. As I sit writing this I am actively procrastinating on no less than half a dozen projects both for work and on a personal level but that's how I have always operated. It is also how 2015 has gone for me. I am sure that if I were to dig deep enough and carefully analyze every minute detail of the past year that I would be able to pick out a vast array of accomplishments. Maybe this feeling of unaccomplishment is due to a birthday next year which for whatever reason is troubling to me. I'm not turning forty years old but it's still disconcerting none the less.

Sure, 2015 was definitely marred by turmoil. There was a situation in my professional life which rocked my world not even before I had celebrated one full year at what I still look at as being one of the most amazing jobs I have ever worked at. That job has given me freedom, opened up a world of possibilities and at the same time tied my stomach in knots due to the actions of one who caused heartache and tremendous loss felt across a wide area.

Those actions truly stuck with me. With that event occupying a piece of my mind, I was less able to enjoy what was normally a fantastic weekend with some of my best friends. It was still a great weekend but those tragic events were still very fresh in my mind. I am, however, looking forward to our 2016 weekend and  actively making plans because life truly goes on and while the events of 2015 definitely stung and left me with more questions than answers, it's not wise to dwell on the past.

There were plenty of highlights. My first grade daughter was voted into the student council at her elementary school. My two year-old son got his first haircut at the hands of his mom. He also developed a deep liking of tractors -- so much so that he often sleeps with one in his crib. My daughter learned to ride her bike without training wheels.

Overall, my family is in a far better place than we were three years ago when I was just beginning my foray into the world of marketing and we found out that we were expecting the birth of our son.

I earlier said that this year has often tied my stomach in knots but it has also been far more relaxing than previous years. We finally had a year without large, time-consuming projects. We vacationed on the Hawaiian island of Kauai with two of the best couples anyone could ever ask for as friends. We replaced the tires on both of our vehicles (hey, not everything can be hugely exciting).

We also tackled a handful of small projects which had been bothering us for years. The kitchen ceiling was replaced. The living room ceiling was redone with tin panels. I fixed a few cosmetic electrical issues. I plan on redoing some of the grout in the master bath. I stained 300 linear feet of fence by hand. I finally built the workbench in the basement which I had been planning for over a year. I got back into selling fall decor (mainly pumpkins and gourds) but doing that reminded me of my teen years when that was a cash cow for me.

I took our kids to my parents' farm this fall to show them what the fall harvest was like and managed to get both of them into the combine with me driving. Showing the what I used to do when I was some twenty years younger was huge. It also showed me that I still remember how to operate the farm equipment just as well as I did in the 1990s.

With that being said, 2016 looks to be a great year. We look forward to a calmer year filled with even more accomplishments and landmarks. I hope for good health for my parents and my in-laws. I look forward to more frequent gatherings with friends and family and a year full of personal accomplishments!

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