Wednesday, December 31, 2008

We Did It

This morning the Today Show actually made me smile. I am a loyal watcher (especially after Hubby convinced me that we HAD to have a TV in our remodeled master bath, to which I initially thought ‘absolutely not, what kind of people do you think we are,’ and then I realized that ‘yes, I like being those kind of people who watch TV in the shower’), but Ann Curry usually drives me batty, I often find myself questioning whether certain stories should really be classified as “news” and my eyes are constantly rolling at overdramatic packaged segments. But I still watch it daily. In the bathroom.

This morning the Today Show aired one of those cheesy overdramatic packaged segments with a “look back at 2008” and I realized two things: 1) being a Today Show talking head must be the best job in the world, and 2) even in light of the tumultuous year that was 2008, there were some highs in the midst of lows and mediums.

In the finality of a day like today, I can’t help but think about what it means to close a chapter that you can never re-open again. I remember being nine, waking up in my bed on the farm the day after fourth grade and being so sad at the thought that I would never get to experience fourth grade ever again in my life. It was done. I could never go back, never have any of the same fourth grade experiences, something I had never really considered before that day-after-fourth-grade moment. I would never sit in the same desk, in the same classroom, in front of a guy named Rocky Stone (that is not a joke). Like it or not, I had to move on.

I’ve been moving on ever since, rolling with the waves of life, through moments I wish would never end (rocking my peaceful baby in the quiet of a winter morning with no work nagging) and minutes that can’t tick by fast enough (watching inadequate nurses attempt to ‘find a vein’ in my screaming infant who may or may not have diabetes). And when the waters are calm and shallow enough that I can actually put my feet down and stand for a moment, I find myself looking around in wonder at the beauty of my surroundings. I realize that I am lucky enough to share my life with two of the most beautiful, wonderful babies that I could have ever hoped for. (Here I go making my own cheesy packaged segment. How annoyingly Ann Curry of me!)

Now, in the calm that is this “transition” time, I’m looking ahead. One hawklet is advising me that he will be three on his next birthday. He is headbanging and playing guitar and sleeping in when we let him. Oh dear God, he’s three going on 17. The other hawklet is gaining some vocabulary (“Elmo” today!) and picking fights with Big Brother between hugs. There is no doubt 2009 will be energetic, espresso powered, and I admit – stressful. Because that’s how we roll – we like to do 10 million things at once while working full time, getting graduate degrees and raising toddlers.

Another year. We did it. And here we go again…

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love reading your blog! It seems like the years keep flying by....2008 was a great one and I can't wait to see what 2009 has in store for us all. Happy New Year!

Kristen

Linda said...

I really do not like to post comments that say nothing more than "I sure enjoyed your post." I'd like to have something more substantial to add. But you pretty well summed it all up. Thank you for this thoughtful entry, it has made me smile. A good way to begin the year.