A Look Back at 2009

I just took my 2009 calendar down. A look through it reminded me of shopping for Lizzy's prom dress, her immunizations for college, orientation at West Ga, shopping for her dorm room - all those senior year things. Special events are marked down - parties, weddings, graduation, a Braves game, a writer's conference. There in black and white I can see the winding down of things in our lives - high school happenings, our old church, kids at-home schedule. And new beginnings - engagements, BBQ with new Sunday School class, an empty-nest vacation, calls with my agent.
As I looked at each little block, the items listed there jumped to life. With amazing clarity that event, those people, the places came back to me. Freshness of a Spring evening in Atlanta for our anniversary, the heat of Savannah in the Summer, crispness of a Autumn picnic. And the people - funny - but in those memories what comes to me is people laughing. How odd is that? Even in some situations and times that were tense, what I remember is the smiles and laughter. The joy of being together.
Maybe it's just me (I am fairly delusional when it comes to being happy), but it's actually soothed my heart this morning to realize this about my remembering. To know that what has stuck in my mind and soul is the laughter and smiles - the joy. So, try it. Look back through 2009 and see what pictures comes with those markings on your calendar.
Happy New Year to all of you - and here's to filling our 2010 calendars with good stuff!