It's A Wonderful Life

I would normally save a post like this for the new year, but when a major revelation dawns via the wisdom of a television show you just gotta say, "To hell with the time of year! I'm writin' this down!"

I was recently watching an episode of How I Met Your Mother, a beloved TV show that I keep watching in hopes that Ted, the main character, will finally meet the woman who later becomes his wife. I assume by the title that the protagonist will, in fact, meet the mother of the children his future self is telling all the stories to, but after 8 seasons it does make one wonder. Aaaanyway, I was rewatching an old episode and listening to Ted tell his future kids how "that" year was the year he lost his job, broke up with the love of his life, and essentially lost his dog, fishing boat, and any other item listed in a country music song and I found myself nodding along in commiseration awaiting the crescendo of a spectacular mope. I was waiting to hear him wrap up his monologue with words similar to, "I couldn't wait for that year to be over." Or, "But next year was THE year for me." But he didn't. Much to my self-loathing dismay, his exact words were, "And it was the best year of my life."

The thoughts that immediately ran through my mind in a matter of 10 seconds or less: It was the best year of that guy's life?! He lost everything! His life was in shambles! Everything he knew to be right and good was turned on its side and any ounce of comfort and dignity he had left was ripped away from him! Are you effing kidding me?! Who's writing this show, anyway?

And then a small voice inside my head whispered: Was this year really all that bad for you?

It wasn't.

This year really wasn't all that bad. Parts of it weren't great, but it didn't outright kill me either. No one died. I didn't get diagnosed with a life threatening disease. And, lo and behold, the world didn't implode. I've been so consumed by the idea that this year was so hard that I neglected to see that hard does not necessarily mean horrible.

Difficulty does not equal disastrous. And life being easy does not equate to a wonderful life.

This was the year of making new friends that I really like, a new home in a fabulous location, learning how to love someone for better or worse, and new business endeavors that are actually working out quite well. This year may not have been the easiest year, but darn it if it wasn't full of twists and turns that got me that much closer to becoming the amazingly gracious old lady that I want to be someday.

And this year isn't even over yet!

I may not be able to smile and say just how delightful the past 365 days have been, but someday I will look back at THIS year and say to my future children how this year was ultimately one of the best year's of my life. Someday this year will truly make sense and won't that day be wonderful.