Dear 2010

Thank you, 2010, for all of the goodness that you packed into 365 days.

Thank you, 2010, for New York City in April ... for Wicked, for The Chocolate Room, and for all that the word integration has come to mean to me this year. Thank you.

Thank you, 2010, for the summer week by the sea ... for the festival after the storm, for the tiki bar with reggae music, and for that sweet, sweet feeling of sitting in Flagler Coffee and being home away from home. Thank you.

Thank you, 2010, for our whirlwind weekend in Chicago ... for all the fun of being a tourist, basking in the city with my family, and having a smile that couldn't be wiped from my face. Thank you.

Thank you, 2010, for turning my daily routine upside down. I resisted all of the changes that going back to working from an office can bring. But once I relaxed about it, I started to discover the positive aspects of it. From the other side, I can see that it was meant as a gift all along. My jaw is unclenched and my eyes are now open. Thank you.

Thank you, 2010, for the big role that friendships have played this year. I have been blessed with many new friends who feel so much like long-time friends to me. It has been so much fun getting to know them and learning more about what we have in common. I appreciate the reminder that we are never too old to make new friends. Thank you.

Thank you, 2010, for the big blessings and the small ... lessons learned ... prayers answered ... the magic in the mundane. Thank you.

Thank you, 2010, for the love in my life, given and received ... for the roof over my head ... for the freedoms that I have the good fortune to enjoy every day. Thank you.

Thank you, 2010, for giving me the clarity to know that I'm one lucky girl, that I've got it really good and the wisdom to take not so much as one drop of it for granted. Thank you.

Happy New Year!