There is this song sung by Frank Sinatra that is running through my head right now: It Was A Very Good Year. It’s a nice song, sung by a man who lived a long life, full of triumph and failure, pleasure and pain. For me, it has more of an immediate meaning, especially considering that it’s about an hour until midnight (in Midwestern America) and the beginning of a new year.
2008 has been quite the year. I wonder sometimes how so much can be packed into 366 short days (Leap Year!). It seems as though every day something new happened, something was hitting the news, causing incredible fervor. I think it’s acceptable to say that it was a crazy year. There were floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, Olympics, elections, Recessions, Economic crises, political scandals . . . the list goes on and on and on. The world has hit a rough patch and a lot of people out there are probably wondering what has been so good about the last year. As cheesy as it will sound, for me the best part about this year, as has been every year, is that we survived to see the next one.
As the world says a weary good-bye to 2008, I, too, say good-bye to the year behind me. My thoughts, inevitably, turn to New Year’s 2008. I was working at a restaurant in Chicago, and had to work that night. I remember not making much money (certainly not enough to have made the sacrifice of working on New Year’s Eve), and getting out just in time to listen to the countdown from outside a bar with a co-worker I didn’t care very much for. It was quite the inauspicious beginning. Within two weeks, I had flown home to California and back again, been let go from the restaurant, and completed my grad school applications – all in the middle of a multi-record breaking winter in Chicago. The next two months were spent stomping through the snow and cold trying to find a job. My lowest point came when, in one week, I was rejected from a group of graduate programs and was running out of money. Eventually I found a job, and decided on an awesome grad program, but I don’t think I will ever forget that point in February 2008. The next months were filled with making/saving money (unsuccessfully). During this time, I prepared to move yet again, and actually developed some pretty radical views on religion (theories I don’t think anyone would expect to actually come out of my mouth). I got to see my Aunt get married to a man I am honored to call family now, and heard of the births of new family members. I grew closer to all my sisters, and I feel like I can actually call them friends now – an incredibly awesome feeling. My parents, grandfather and older sister have been my bulwark in the hard times, and my younger sisters the source of great entertainment to keep me distracted during the difficult times.
After moving north to begin a graduate program in Early Modern European history, I realized that I had stepped into an entirely new world – one I was not prepared for at all. My first semester was an adjustment, to say the least, and I would be lying if I said that I had adjusted completely to grad life. But I realized at some point, that, as difficult as this all is, I am finally doing exactly what I want to be doing, and what I should be doing at this point in my life. Not many people say that they enjoy sitting in the library for 8 to 10 to 12 and more hours of the day reading, studying and writing. But I can. Ignoring all the procrastination, I have thoroughly enjoyed my productive library time the last few months and am looking forward to more. There have been ups and downs this semester, but when it all comes down to it, the pros have outweighed the cons.
There have been three things that have helped get me through the toughest times this year – my 3 F’s. Faith, Family and Friends. Without these three, I couldn’t have done it. I am, finally, exactly where I want to be. Sure I’m alone again this year, with a head cold to ring in the New Year with me, but when I think about the foundation I have built for myself for 2009, I couldn’t be happier.
So as I raise my glass of Bailey’s on the rocks and sing Auld Lang Syne to 2008 and ring in 2009, I know that not only was it a very good year, but, with faith, family, and friends with me, it will be a very good year.
