Auld Lang Syne

As the year is winding down, I think we all find our selves reflecting (if only briefly) on the past year & waxing poetic about our hopes for the new one.  I've been writing up a storm over the last few days as I was furiously trying to finish two time sensitive writing projects.  Ever one to take a deadline to its most extreme application, I only just finished them both & am breathing a sigh of relief. 

The first, our Christmas letter, was unusually hard for me this year.  After finally coming up with the perfect picture, I realized I had to write a letter.  It's been an enormous year for New Sara, but it's been a pretty great one for the rest of the team as well.  Dave completed his first Half Ironman, Lincoln started school, Coraline honed the gift of speech...no small tasks.  Christmas letters are usually a 20 minute task on my Holiday To-Do List, but this year it took the better part of three afternoons to get it right.  Don't get me wrong, I still love doing it, but it was HARD this year.  The pic is forthcoming after my hard copies have a chance to make their way through the Postal Service...don't want to spoil the surprise for the recipients that are kind enough to read my ramblings here, as well.

The second (& what has really got me reflecting) was an essay for a contest.  On the heels of my $100 Weight Watchers winnings, I decided to ante up & enter a contest through "Ladies Home Journal" asking for essays on personal growth...yup it was that broad.  I took it as an opportunity to cobble together some thoughts on my journey as a whole & it was a nearly insurmountable task, but I am so glad I did it.  My chances of winning are slim to none, but when it all shakes out, I am so happy that I took the time to put "pen to paper" because now I have a moderately cohesive snapshot of what I've done to date.  It was worth the DAYS I put into it if only for me to read the final product & be reminded of how far I have come & how worth the effort it has been.  When someone else is announced as the winner, I'll post my essay here & I'll feel like I've won.  Looking back on the last two years makes me just googly with excitement over the prospect of the next 50+ & that is something that Old Sara would never have even thought of.