2008: In Retrospect

Well, after a good night's sleep (it was marvelous and beautiful) I think I am better able to articulatre my thoughts then last night. 2008 was not a good year, particularly if you look at the broad and general things, and don't look at all of the specific moments that made it bearable. However, as the last post, upon rereading was not optimistic, I shall try to focus on all the positives about the year.

Grant and Rebekah's wedding was awesome. I loved being maid of honor, and I was so happy that Rebekah chose me. They are a wonderful couple and sure, maybe I lost my speech, and the bridesmaid dresses were a gongshow, and maybe there were too many speeches, but at the end of the day they got married, we made a lot of great memories, and we all looked beautiful.

The support of everyone has been so overwhelming. People are so generous we can't even manage to thank them all. Support has not fallen off- people are still praying and still doing things for us.

I did this year in retrospect thing at the end of 2006 as well. Back then I still felt like I was playing at being a grown up- just going through the motions. Now I feel like I am an adult. I have gone through some hard times in the last year, and even if my house is nowhere near clean anymore I have managed to hold myself together through unemployment, debt, people moving, my dad's injury, visiting the hospital, being back in school, and my constant need to manage my mental health. I am keeping the balls in the air in this juggling act of mine.

I met James Blunt this year. Sure, he was a letdown, but I had a great time with the friends I went with, and I learned a lot about fantasies- they just ain't true. I got a cat- Felix is amazingly cute, but such a brat, but I love him anyways. I am not at home anymore on Friday nights when everyone is out on their dates. I have my cat. And I don't care if I am setting myself up to be the old lady with the cats.

I got over a crush I had had for a couple years. I learned that just because you can talk online does not mean you can do so in person. I learned a lot about boundaries in relationships. I went through several flaming attractions this year, some of which I never could figure out the reasons for. I became more and more proficient at rejecting men- not good looking, fine upstanding Christian men- I am talking about old creepers and drug dealers.

I went on a fair few road trips this year. St Louis along with the points along the way back to Edmonton; Winkler and back, and then fly to Winnipeg and drive back a few weeks later; Rosetown and Grande Prarie; and Calgary, Saskatoon, and North Battleford a few times each. I went on my first airplane ride.

I became a lot closer to my family through the trials we went through. Not that we weren't close before, but now we are so much closer. I also learned how to lean on others and to open up to others instead of only having others lean on and open up to me. I learned to find the ridiculous, the funny, the happy, and the ironic things amungst the hard times.

The last night of 2008 was the banquet night and watchnight service at New Years. Banquet was fun, I wore my bridesmaid dress and Graison was my escort. We had a good visit, shared in the awkardness of figuring out what the assigned seating meant, and he took our gross juice (REALLY watered down lemonaide), dumped them down the sink, and brought back water. It made up for no flowers and almost made up for no compliments, but we cannot expect everything. Service was really good, and God really showed me (and a lot of others too I think) a lot about myself and my shortcomings. I have a lot of changes to make, but I suppose that isn't something one should write on the internet.

So I guess my general conclusion is that even though the year sucked, it was still worthwhile. Oh and also that I sure hope next year is better.