Goodbye, 2010

It is time to say goodbye to 2010 and it will go down as a very memorable year. It began with the news of a baby on the way, and nine months later our bundle of sugar and spice and everything nice brought balance back to our little family. She was healthy and perfect, but a quick scare that took us to Cook Chidren's Hospital in Fort Worth, for what amounted to a false alarm, quickly brought home the reality of how difficult it can be to bring a healthy baby into the world, and how blessed someone is to have a complication-free birthing event. We never ventured far enough into the halls of the hospital to see too many of the children with life-threatening illnesses or conditions, but I'll never forget some of the faces I saw from parents - in the elevators, down the halls or in the cafeteria. They were weary faces that tried to be neighborly and friendly, but often poorly hid dispair or frustration. I'll never forget those faces.

2010 was a year for my beloved Texas Rangers to reach the World Series, and for the passing of dear family friend Peggy Cavanaugh. A high, a low, back and forth. That's life. But, history books will show 2010 as a year of high unemployment and a country spinning wheels in economic recession muck. A recession affects us all one way or another, but the big monster's fangs failed to take a major bite out of this family, my job was safe and successful, and for that I am again grateful.

I think it's common for people to look towards a new year with high hopes and renewed vigor and energy of bigger and better things. In doing so, the past year sometimes unfairly gets a bad rap. Optimism and wishful daydreaming is easy. Proper bookkeeping of blessings and thanks over the course of 12 months is difficult, and I think too many people give up trying. Next year will be better than this year is an ideology that has been marketed by corporate America for eons, and there are countless people willing to stand in line to hear the sermon, whomever is preaching it.

Where we do hope for 2011 to bring happiness and successes beyond our wildest imagination, life tells us that we should also be prepared to have our hearts broken along the way. That will take care of itself. Today, we simply look back one last time and give thanks and a fond hug goodbye to 2010, for better or worse.