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Sadie ponders 2016 at Popham.

It’s been a heck of a year…it seems the general zeitgeist these days is to say goodbye to a long and, for many, challenging year and welcome 2017 with new hope. For me, this has been one of the most profound years of my life.  And, while I am happy to ring in a new year, I am equally grateful for the lessons of 2016.

This afternoon, I took Sadie for a walk on the beach.  Through the overcast day, both Sadie and I took the time to reflect on what this year has meant to us.  Sadie’s year was filled with transition and turmoil, but also play and joy.  She wins the prize for resilience in the Geller family – she was often displaced, sometimes cared for by semi-strangers and tasked with being a caregiver, providing comfort to many when most needed.  She’s still learning her boundaries, but she is one kind and loving pup!

As for me, 2016 taught me many lessons, but most importantly, the year taught me about love.  I recall a post I wrote in June –  “Clear Eyes, Full Hearts,  Can’t Lose.”  Tears still come to my eyes when I think about what I was facing in that moment – I felt so alive, but, at the same time, I felt myself fading away.  I was confronting an uncertainty that I was convinced no one could understand.  And, while they probably did not completely comprehend my experience (I’m not sure I even did), they didn’t hesitate to show me how much they cared for me.  My family, my friends and my medical team all had my back.  A dance with Corey, a burger at Wahlburgers (and a hope to run into at least one Wahlberg!) with Ursula, a trip to Nordstrom with Mom, a walk with Sadie, a political talk with Dad, an afternoon with Adam, and many other moments kept me in the game.  Though modern medicine came to the rescue, I am convinced that the love of the people in my life pulled me through.

So, yes, it’s been a heck of a year, but in 2016,  I was brought back to life and, in 2017, I’ll keep on living.

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