Hey there and happy New Year everyone. I am looking forward to starting the new year and saying goodbye to this one. This past year has meant something different for all of us. For some it has been a wonderful experience and for others it has been a painful one. For me it has been a little bit of both. I have gained and I have lost and have learned something valuable from both. Life holds many surprises and I have had my share.

When the year began I had the the most wonderful and surprising thing happen to me. I met the love of my life. He’s a fellow Author and the nicest most understanding and supportive man I have ever known. During the course of the year we fell in love and are planning to get married. Throughout our journey together he has watched me grow into a more fearless human being whom is no longer afraid to take risks and have the kind of life that I want. Together we are making it happen for both of us.

In 2017 I obtained a job that I feel comfortable at and a new home that I love. As of right now I am happier than I have been in a long time. Life is never perfect but sometimes you really can get what you want and what you need. But it is also filled with many challenges too. This year I watched a member of my family take a chance at extending her life by having a risky operation that caused her to endure a slow and painful death. We lost her in September and her death still haunts me every day. She was my Aunt and we love and miss her very much.

2017 also gave us a new President whom has become an icon for being the most controversial President we’ve ever had. We’ve also seen many lives lost from mass shootings to suicides that have shocked the world. We’ve seen careers destroyed due to accusations of sexual misconduct from public figures whose work we admire and the continuation of gun violence, racism on the rise and the constant threats of war by North Korea.

This year has brought joy and tragedy and there is no doubt in my mind that the new year will bring more of the same. Every time the start of a new year approaches, we think to ourselves “Wow I hope the new year is better than the last one” But it never is. There will always be joy and there will always be tragedy. But life is not the world and it’s many problems. Life begins and ends with you. Make it how you see fit. That is the only way 2018 can be a year of more joy and hopefully less tragedy.