Looking back on 2016 and all of the "doom and gloom" headlines I find myself working extra hard to remember the good that came my way last year. It's easy to get caught up in the negative when you're fed a steady diet of it. Maybe that's why we're so taken with FaceBook posts of puppies, kittens, and babies. We need some innocent cuteness to balance it out.
No matter what your political views are, I think we can all agree that the past election was pretty weird. Half of the country is pleased with the outcome and the other half is dismayed. But it was destined to be that way regardless of the outcome. Still, I suspect that historians are taking notes. I feel sorry for future high school history students who are going to have to remember this stuff for a quiz.
The year seemed to be bookended with terrorism. I don't have anything funny or clever to say about this. Pain and death are nearly always tragic when inflicted intentionally.
We've had soldiers, police, first responders, and innocent civilians die from violent acts this year. Everyone has an opinion and are quickly riled up. We all seem to know who to blame, but no one has a serious remedy.
Celebrities and artists seemed to die weekly and even daily, at times. Some, like 99 year old Zsa Zsa Gabor were not surprising, but others were. We were struck by the untimely deaths of the artists. They seemed to have so much more to give and now they are gone. We grieve as though they were family.
My friend, novelist Wednesday Friday, (Yep that's really her name. And don't start with the jokes. She's heard them all and is not amused.) wrote recently that an artist speaks to us and through us. (I'm paraphrasing now) If the artist is any good, then we should have a personal connection with them. We feel like we know them because they seem to know us so well. They become an important part of our lives. (If you would like to know more about this very interesting author please visit www.wednesdayleefriday.com)
Those in uniform protect us physically and try to provide us a peaceful life. But the artists provide food for our soul and decorate that peaceful life with beauty and meaning. We need both. The untimely demise of any should be mourned by all.
So my wish for 2017 is for a respite from the anger and sadness of last year. To personally take a moment to savor the good news that my friends share and to try to return the favor. Here's to a happy new year and more puppies, kittens, and babies.