What a year, what a year! Personally, it’s been a good one. Our household managed to avoid too many personal injuries or illnesses, the roof stayed over our heads, our jobs were good, the schools educated our kids, and food landed on the table every day like clockwork.
Truly, that is enough to make me realize how our lives are exploding with blessings. The fact that we get to live an average, everyday existence with very little fuss is an incredible privilege. We live in a world with famine in one place, and massive food waste in another. All-out war rages in many pockets of the world, with refugees scattering across the globe to hopefully find peace and stability. Our oceans have become our garbage dump, and various environments continue to be threatened due to our want of manufactured things that make our lives better and easier (?).
It is easy to be discouraged.
So I guess what I’m trying to do, is to turn the lens back on my own life more often and be appreciative for all that I do have. I’m not trying to ignore the world, by any stretch, and it’s so important to key in on the issues that matter to you, and work for change where you think it’s needed. But when you’re exhausted from all that work, don’t forget to count your blessings.
In our own house, Kate completed a long-drawn-out certification to enhance the therapy she delivers to kids—two years of evenings/late nights and weekends of study and testing finally came to a close. Kate also continued to serve on various boards and committees related to her work. To pass the time outside of her work, she bought herself a road bike! She managed to ruin her back shortly after purchase, thereby sidelining herself for a few months from the bike, but she happily recovered (Hey, I said we avoided ‘too many’ personal injuries, not ALL). It should also be noted that she has an electric bike, and to better cut down our carbon footprint, she bikes all over town to her client visits!
I, too, sidelined myself for a while with a broken rib that came with the cost of missing some early-season canoe and kayak racing, but I recovered well enough to be strongly competitive by the end of the summer. I had a fantastic time at the national championships, and I’m really stoked to be part of a rapidly growing and competitive club here in Vancouver! I kept up various board positions through this year, too, also related to paddling! Looking forward to more of the same in 2018.
As for the kids, I continue to be in awe of their intelligence and ever-developing maturity. They’re both little geniuses as far as I’m concerned, and really a lot of fun to hang around with these days. They both have their “things”… S is a walking encyclopedia for anything related to the NHL and loves hockey. He’s playing on a community soccer team and is thoroughly enjoying that experience. H is wildly artistic and creative and is often found with markers and a stack of paper nearby. She’s also been enjoying a weekly gymnastics class and has a new-found love for cartwheeling through the living room!
Hopefully, the holidays bring you some free time with family or friends, and all the best to you and yours for the coming year. Whatever brings you joy, here’s to hoping you find lots of it in 2018! As you know, I take lots of video, so A) please enjoy this short and sweet video Christmas card, and stay tuned in 2018 for my 2017 highlights reel!
