Good Riddance 2012

If one year in my life could be removed painlessly; both from my memory and my heart, it would be 2012. This was the year I lost my dad. He was the nicest person you could meet, loved to laugh, never met a stranger, always returned borrowed items in better condition than when he got them...he was That guy. He was almost 72 years old and he wasn't sick. He wasn't feeble. He didn't die in a hospital--actually he was bouncing back from a brain tumor sugery 2 years prior. No, he was puttering around his pop-up camper getting it ready to go on a wild boar hunting expedition with his equally senior brothers when he died in a freak accident. I am grateful that up to his last minute my dad had his zest for life, but I miss him terribly and my mother, his wife of 50 years, is lost without him.

2012 was also the year we learned our beloved son's heart is failing him. He was born 14 years ago with multiple heart defects that required several major surgeries to correct, but we were under the impression that all was good, all was going to stay good, and at most he might require a new heart valve around the age 40. Well, that didn't turn out to be true. In the journey of trying to find out just how sick his heart is we almost lost him twice to routine diagnostic tests this year. OUR hearts are frayed and frightened as we continue down this new road we have begun.

2012 was also the year that my teenage nephew began having seizures, that a young cousin (age 7) with cerebral palsy was also diagnosed with acute epilepsy, and a third young cousin (age 9) with Muscular Dystrophy received disappointing test results regarding some of his health issues.

2012 saw terrible people doing terrible things to each other, little children murdered in schools, people mass-murdered while out for a fun night at the movies, crazy weather causing untold damage, politicians arguing about raising taxes on citizens who are struggling to make ends meet while their own wages went up on raises they voted for themselves.

I am tired, discouraged, and sad. I want 2013 to come in shining, bright, beautiful and full of promise. I want money funneled towards medical research instead of criminally bloated "stiumulus packages" for car companies, and solar panel companies, and multibillion dollar banking corporations. I want politicians to shut up about WANTING to work together...and actually WORK TOGETHER to fix our country. I want the world to learn to get along.

So I say out with the old...in with the new. Bring it on 2013--Good Riddance 2012!