23 Dec 2021
The other day I read this quote in Anne Lamott’s new book Dusk, Night, Dawn: “…the movement of grace in our lives so often begins with desperation and blurt.” After I stopped laughing I realized it was a perfect way to recap 2021.
Grace continues to move through my life, and gratitude is the main theme yet again. I’m so thankful for my family, my friends, my work, my health, and most important, 34 years of sobriety. Without recovery nothing else is possible in my life.
My biggest news is that on October 27th I turned 60! While I was happy to see that the marketers had upped the definition of “senior” to 65+ I’m still thrilled to have made it this far. I actually feel stronger emotionally and physically (thanks Andrew!) than I’ve ever been. To celebrate, I had a small gathering at my house with friends, including a buddy I’ve known since fifth grade. It wouldn’t have been complete without my sister and niece, who flew in for the weekend. How lucky I am to be loved by such an eclectic group of brilliant, funny people!
My work continues to be meaningful as messaging for nonprofit and healthcare clients pivoted to vaccinations this year. (Not that I don’t LOVE writing about washing your hands.) I’m glad I’m older, because getting tossed daily in what feels like a virtual washing machine of words would have sent me screaming to the hills a few years ago. Granted, there’s still some screaming on my part but it doesn’t last very long. Thank goodness I inherited the famous Harris snarky sense of humor to snap me out of it. Speaking of humor, thanks to everyone who sent jokes and memes. You really are a dark, twisted bunch and I LOVE THAT.
Sadly, two very important men in my life passed on in October of this year. Uncle Todd was a gentle, strong soul and he is sorely missed. My dear friend and brother, Howard White left us in the same month. Howard was one of my closest friends, and one of the first real friends I made in recovery. Please join me in sending their families lots of peaceful, loving energy this holiday season.
Moving on to a brighter note, I’m happy to say I had tons of fun in 2021, with yet another trip to a beautiful Minnesota lake in June, and lots of biking, hiking, and running. We really did have a beautiful summer here. I made it out to my happy place, C Lazy U Ranch, twice this year to reconnect with my love of horses and some amazing friends. I was pleased to see Nature recovering from the effects of 2020’s forest fires out in Colorado.
I also traveled to Washington D.C. in August for a long weekend with my brother and his wife. I hadn’t seen them in a long time, and it was great fun, particularly sailing little Sunfish boats around Rehoboth Beach in Delaware. It felt like we were kids again, complete with a few folks asking the “are you twins” question.
I think that’s a pretty good summary of my year – thanks for reading. I’ll just say once again how grateful I am for my life. It’s thanks to all of you. Here’s to a bright and beautiful 2022!
Bonnie