How Will I Measure This Year?

In keeping with my past two entries which focused on art and music, I'm stealing a well-known line from my favorite musical, Rent, to express my anticipation, anxiety, and awareness for the many unknown adventures that lie ahead of me. But first, let me measure the many events that happened over the past 525,600 minutes of my life.

Miles: I traveled over 10,000 miles (not counting what I clocked on my odometer) as I journeyed across America and Europe. I felt both the ties and loneliness that distance can create. I learned that even though I might be a few time zones away from my friends, we can be close in heart.

Sleepless Nights: I managed to complete college without any academic all-nighters. However, that does not discount the fact that I spent many evenings plowing through difficult books, writing impossible papers, or fretting about my future.

Births: I am in the stage of my life when many of my friends are starting their own families. While I have yet to be present for a live birth (I think I'll save that for a while, too), I am so excited for the growing stomachs and expanding hearts of my dear friends.

Deaths: I think this one rings a little truer to home than the births category. Fortunately, I did not lose anyone in my immediate or extended family (and I hope to continue that trend for many years to come), I experienced the loss of one of my ladies. Even though I got paid to work with her, I came to love her dearly over the three years that we spent together. Even more, I felt the tragic deaths of family friends and loved ones, and I hope that those people know how deeply I mourn for their losses. Also, RIP Michael, Farrah, Patrick, Bea, and all the other Hollywood people we lost in 2009.

Laughter: From great friends to inside jokes with myself, I think that I have learned how to laugh with greater abandon, and I have realized the wonderful blessing that humor is in the most difficult of times.

While I have fewer concrete plans at this point in my life than I think I ever have before, I'm excited to learn to depend on the Lord to plan my next set of adventures. I know that amidst all of the many trials I experienced in 2009, I would not have chosen any different route for the ultimate happiness I found. I pray that this new year holds even a minute portion of what my grand imagination dreams it does. I have quite a few minutes, hours, and days to figure it all out, though, and I'll keep you all posted on how that goes.