The end of 2011

Well, I am very happy to be leaving 2011 in my rear view mirror.

It was a difficult year for me and full of several failures. I endured the ending of a marriage. I survived a serious physical altercation. And I suffered through some financial worries and challenges that left a pall over much of the year.

But, through all the trials I was reminded of a couple things. First of all, I'm extremely resilient. Emotionally I am stable and secure and can handle being sad, lonely or frustrated. These are normal emotions that everyone sometimes feels. It's OK to feel them, right? I've felt them and have survived.

Physically I'm in better shape than I've been in a long long time. This not only helps me recover from things more quickly, but it keeps me from getting sick and gives me a lot more energy. Perhaps most important is it elevates my mood and keeps me mentally fresh and strong. If I could ask one thing of my friends this year it would be to get more healthy.

Speaking of friends, another thing I've realized is I have some truly great friends. This year I've been fortunate to reconnect with a few good friends. And several of my friendships have become even stronger. The group of people I can consider my friends are exceptional. I have friends who are funny, smart, successful, happy and strong. They have been extremely supportive and caring. They are loyal and generous. They ask me to watch over their homes. They carpool daily with me. They both ask for and volunteer advice. They are willing to be honest and direct with me. They'll go to a concert with me or take me to lunch. They email and call and text. They are a group of people so excellent that I'm not sure I'm worthy. So, I'll have to keep working at being a good friend in return, because they deserve it.

I almost can't comprehend that this year will be 2012. The 90s...hell even the 80s seem just a few years ago. But they are not. Time, it keeps a rollin. And 2012, you'd better watch your ass because this year things are going to be different. I'm done going with the flow. Now it's time to make waves.

Here's to all of you. I hope your 2011 was great but that your 2012 will be even greater.
Thanks for reading.

Does anyone ever read this? Do I ever write in it anymore? Not lately. But that is about to change. I'm really looking forward to the end of this year. The last half of this year was one of the toughest I've yet experienced and I'm just thankful that I seem to be a resilient soul. Here's to 2012 being the start of something new and to making myself a better person.