It
is the last day of 2013. I’m reflecting. Aren’t we all?
What’s a word to
describe the year?
Mine:
{UN}expectations
That’s
probably not a word.
But
it fits.
I
was not expecting to visit Africa twice on reporting assignments and Haiti once.
I
wasn’t expecting to lose one of my closest friends, and I wasn’t expecting to
spend much of 2013 grieving.
I
wasn’t expecting to quit my career-smart job the day before I went to Kenya,
and I wasn’t expecting to come home from Kenya and have to move in with a
friend for three weeks because skunks had taken over my Cottage.
I
wasn’t expecting to move in with my mom.
There
was the wall of depression I was not expecting, and my psychologist.
I
was not expecting to never want children, and I wasn’t expecting to rediscover on
another continent my love of family.
I
wasn’t expecting to be a lecturer at a state university, and I wasn’t expecting
the phone call: “do you want a full time job with us?”
I
wasn’t expecting to come home from Ethiopia and have to find a new place to
live. I wasn’t expecting the perfect travel trailer to come available for us.
I
wasn’t expecting to be a janitor for four months.
I
wasn’t ready for the news, “It’s a brain tumor,” and then six months later, “It’s
not growing … radiation is working.”
There
were powerful conversations in 2013; two trips to Kentucky, one to Boston/Cape
Cod, one to Washington D.C., a couple to Dallas, Houston. There were gifts of
chickens (real ones), and moving parties. Tuck was trained in personal
protection. Skye raised a litter of puppies. VoiceBox Media celebrated its
first birthday; I created a website for my projects. I’m writing my book. I
hiked more than 100 miles and lost weight.
The
year was chock full of friends, laughter, tears, growth, new beginnings, a few
endings, triumph, blow-your-mind crazy blessings, and a sense of wonderment
over this ridiculous humbling journey of Life.
