Ten years ago, I was living in Jacksonville, FL. My husband was still in the Navy, stationed on the U.S.S. John F. Kennedy aircraft carrier and deploying frequently, leaving me home alone with a full-time job, a 4-year-old, a 1-year-old and two dogs. Like everyone, the many people affiliated with my company were anxiously awaiting the opening minutes of Jan. 1, 2000 to see what, if anything would happen to the world's computers on that auspicious date. By then we were all sick of hearing about Y2K concerns, which in hindsight, turned out to be the very least of our problems in this last tumultuous decade.
In the last ten years, I've gone from having a baby and a toddler to a high school freshman and an 11-year-old who I can no longer wrestle with unless I want to get hurt. We've suffered through the unimaginable losses of three of our four parents, numerous aunts and uncles, and the parents of dear friends. We've lost our two precious dogs, who'd been with us since the early days of our married life, and we moved from Florida to Rhode Island where we've now been for seven years—the longest we've lived anywhere in our 17 years of marriage.
While the world around us dealt with terrorists and wars and hanging chads and economic turmoil, we have been working, raising our kids, and pursing a few dreams on the side. Becoming a published author this decade was a definite highlight. But what's much more important to me is the continued good health of my family and friends. The most enduring lesson of the last ten years for me is the importance of good health. In the end, it's all that really matters and it makes everything else possible.
Ten years from now, I should have one college graduate on my hands and one more working his way through (no doubt kicking and screaming all the way). We will no doubt lose more of the people who guided and shaped us, which I've decided is the part of adulthood I hate the most. How are we supposed to survive without these critical people? If I figure it out, I'll let you know.
In the meantime, as this year and decade come to an end, thank you to my faithful readers. Thank you to everyone who made my entrance into the world of publishing so much fun. Thank you for checking back here for my irregular updates. I look forward to chatting with you in the "teen" years! Happy holidays and a happy happy New Year!
