Griping or Grateful?

Every year as January 1st draws near, I hear some people say, “I can’t wait to start the new year. Thank God this one is almost over.”

I don’t get it. Maybe it’s the pessimist in me. Or, maybe it’s the control freak in me, but I can’t remember a time I felt good about a year ending. Even that dastardly year, 2014, that my husband had is accident.

When I hear people happy to say goodbye to the year we’re leaving behind, I think, Didn’t you say this the last time? You weren’t happy with how the last year turned out, so what makes you think you’ll be happy with how the next one turns out?

Could it be that people are being optimistic about the year ahead, and I’m being pessimistic? Am I seeing an ending instead of a new, exciting beginning? I don’t really have negative thoughts in my head about the future. I just feel sad about saying goodbye to another year. For the most part, I feel grateful for each year that I made it through.

Or, perhaps it’s that the in-coming year is a blank slate, and I’m not in control? I mean, could it be fear of the unknown and not being able to prepare?

Two especially hard years for me were 2009 and 2011.

In 2009, I felt like my very heart and soul had ceased to exist when my dog, Piezon died. He helped me accept my childfree fate and gave me a reason to move forward. When he died, I had to find a way to move forward without him. I absolutely hated seeing that year leave, because it was the last year that Piezon was alive. I even wrote the poem, The Last Day, on that very New Year’s Eve in ’09.

The other bad year, in January 2011, I had a surgery that took a few months to recover from. At the end of that same year, in November, after getting work done on a tooth, I had a bad reaction and landed in the hospital. It took me two months to recover from that issue. But, 2011 also brought our new dog, Max into our home.

So you see, even though 2009 took my boy, Piezon from me, the first six months were a great memory of him still being with us. In 2011, even though I had a lot of health issues, we got the blessing of a new pup who brought light back into our lives.

This is why I don’t understand when people are glad to see years pass away. No matter what happened, there is always something to be grateful for.

I won’t be around the blogging world much until after the first of the year. Lots of things to do for the holidays, and I’m loving every minute. Thank you blogging friends, for being my blogging friends. 🙂

Over the weekend we went into the city (from the burbs of Chicago) for some Christmas spirit. I hope you’ll allow me to spread that spirit by scrolling to see some pictures below. They are unprofessional, but a nice memory.

What say you? Griping or grateful for the past year?

Merry Christmas

May you be blessed in the new year and beyond.

My handsome ole man in front of the Christmas tree in the Great Hall at Chicago Union Station

Lots of families there with kids in their PJ’s for the Polar Express ride out of Chicago Union Station

The blur of a decorated bus as it whizzes by.

In front of the ex-Marshall Field’s now Macy’s Christmas display.

Inside Macy’s looking down from around the 6th floor

A high-tech window display of a ghostly Santa

Another high-tech window display of videos playing within the frosty, twiney tree.