Well this will be a challenge. I usually take this opportunity to look back on the year and remember all the fun and exciting things we did. It’s usually nice to force myself to remember all the things that happened throughout the year and relive the good memories. This year, however, has been one of the worst and most challenging years of my life. The thing that I am most grateful for at this point is the fact that the year is almost over. I look forward to a fresh start with an even numbered year.
It all started in January with the never-ending snow issues and the impossible task of just maintaining the house and property. During one of those crazy storms my Dad fell down on the ice and that pretty much changed the lives of everyone in our family. Nothing was the same after that and that fall marked a significant start of a downward trend.
My poor father struggled with his health all year and it was a sad, stressful ordeal. I threw myself into my exercise training program all Winter and managed to get into great shape for our bike trip to Utah in March. Unfortunately that peak of athletic performance was short-lived because I contracted Lyme Disease at the beginning of April. That turned into three of the most miserable weeks of my life and something that I hope to never experience again.
By now June rolls around and we actually had a month of somewhat of a normal life. We were both healthy and Dad was living back at home and seemed happy. Things were looking up. But of course, that wouldn’t last long either.
I ended up with a terrible pinched nerve in my neck, which caused life changing constant pain for several months. There went the entire Summer (and Fall for that matter). I couldn’t ride a motorcycle or a bicycle, couldn’t do yoga, lift weights. I couldn’t even sit in a chair without pain and it really sucked big time. But wait, there’s more . . .
Dad ended up back in the hospital in July and it was pretty bad. His kidneys were failing and it really took a toll on his brain . . . and my pinched nerve, along with the nerves of my brother and sister-in-law. This marked the beginning of Dad’s very challenging dialysis treatments, which were basically his life support.
Most of the Fall was a blur. I was on the road traveling more than I was home. In a month’s time Karlo and I only saw each other for 4 days, and those weren’t even consecutive days! I missed the most beautiful time to be in CT, but fortunately my neck pain seemed to be subsiding so that I was no longer in constant pain. Maybe the rest of the year would slip by without any more problems. Or not.
My father decided in mid October to stop his dialysis treatments. The following two weeks were more than I ever dreamed I could handle (emotionally). Let’s just say it was very very hard to watch my father deteriorate rapidly and then finally take his last breathe on Halloween night.
So November comes and I’m thinking it’s the final stretch to ending this terrible year. Maybe the time will just pass quickly and be uneventful. There were some minor negatives, but in comparison to what we’ve been through I’m not complaining. I’m just looking forward to spending quality time with my family on Christmas – not discussing the million details of my father’s property nor going over my never ending list of things to do. I just want to be together, be happy, and be relaxed, if only for one short day. Maybe it takes a bad year to reflect on what really matters and to finally realize that Christmas is not about the presents under the tree, but about the people sitting around the dinner table.
A sincere Merry Christmas to all my friends and family, with the warmest wishes for a New Year filled with good health and happiness. When it comes right down to it, that is all that really matters.
2 comments:
For very different reasons, I am also ready to say good riddance to 2011. I'm so sorry that the year was so rough for you and again so sorry for the loss of your Dad.
Amen to health and happiness.
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