So Long, 2012
"2012 needs to just end already."
"This has been the worst year ever."
"2013 can't possibly be as bad as 2012."
And on and on and on. It seems that a lot of people felt that 2012 was a brutal bitch who punched them in the face repeatedly. I had to fight the urge to prove that I could win the Misery War.
If you've been around, you know. If you haven't, so what? What difference does it make that I paid my dues and then I paid it again and then I paid it some more? Let's just throw some confetti in the air and call it a pity party and waaaah. waaaah. waaaaaaaaaah.
At the end of it all, none of it matters. It wasn't the calendar or the date or the number 2012 that was devastating and hurtful and mean. It was the things that happened here and there. It was the sequence of completely unrelated events that piled on and on ...
... and that danced an intricate ballet with The Other Things.
The silliness.
The celebrations.
The frolicking.
The thoughtfulness.
The new friends cherished.
The old friends enjoyed.
The magic discovered.
The eyes that knew where to find it.
The fun frozen.
And the fun picked.
The mischief.
The mayhem.
The life lived out loud.
The life lived louder.
The lessons learned silently.
The questions asked loudly.
The joy delivered.
The curiousity satisfied.
And the smiles for miles.
2012 had ... its moments. They weren't all good, but there were good ones to be found. I just had to go looking.
I could fight the Misery War, or I can win the Joy War.
I choose joy.
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Reader Comments (18)
Wonderful post. Love it. May you have even more joy in 2013.
I love this.
and Mark Brown too.
The picture with Becky is one of my all time favorites. Love it!
BTW ... you would win the misery war against most of us easily, but I think you made the right choice :)
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
You're smart.
I hope 2013 is awesome for you and yours.
This is one of the happiest wrap-up posts I have seen...and you had a rough year. Thank you for celebrating the happy and reminding us that we have a choice to embrace the joy!
Also - Puppy Penny! She was so tiny!
Love it. Happiness is a choice, and you seem to make that choice often. :)
Best. Post. Ever.
I choose Joy too. I try to focus on the positive things that happened with my family, and I remind my kids of the good times we shared. I hope your 2013 is full of Joy too.
You have one gorgeous kid. I choose the joy too! Have a Happy!
This is probably my favorite post out of all that you've written. Truly beautiful. :) Now for more soul-touching memories in 2013!
Great post. I am going to try to choose joy (or something not so negative) too.
I really want a cupcake now! :-)
Well said! Happy New Year to you and your family!
Michelle, thanks so much for this post. I needed a reminder to look for joy in life and hope in 2013 after a sad end to last year. May your new year be filled with good things.
I hope your 2013 is even better than the good things in 2012 combined.
I saw an idea on pinterest (where else), to write down happy moments and things you're thankful for throughout the year, put them in a jar, and then around New Years Eve/Day, you open it up and have a joyous party and celebrate the awesome things that happened. As you said, we miss so much good when we focus on the hard, rough patches.
What an absolutely perfect year end post! Happy New Year to you! I hope 2013 brings you good health, happiness and lots and lots more joy!
Excellent plan. I so enjoy your photos. Happy New Year to you and yours!
Choose Joy! I think that will be my motto for 2013. Fabulous post!
what a wonderful way to summarize 2012! spectacular photos and joyous moments for the win. even if you might have called me old. ha!
seriously, best 2012 year end post i have seen. you have a way with words and images, my friend.