What I Learned in 2012

A lot happened to all of us during 2012.  I’m not one for resolutions.  I’m more for making plans regardless of time of year.  But this past year was filled with diversity some tragic, some amazing, and some both.

What makes hero?  We talk about this a lot in writing, but some of the most amazing heroes are not found in fiction stories.  In Newtown, Connecticut, some adults did amazing things to try to protect as many as they could.  A teacher faced down a gunman in protecting her class.  I can’t imagine such a thing, but it happened, and the name Victoria Soto went around the world.

Okay, I’m going to cry now.  Let’s move on.  I just can’t talk about all the heroics that day.  I did learn that in our age of computers and distance learning, people are still brave.

This year, it seemed the East Coast wore a hit me sign.  New Jersey lost their boardwalk.  Connecticut saw a recently rebuilt community wash away, and Long Beach in Long Island was hit so badly, that as we speak people are freezing in their homes there.  They still don’t have heat.   I read how James Hodge, who is coordinating relief efforts in Long Beach, gave away his two personal heaters for his home.  He has been sleeping under multiple blankets to keep warm. The Martin Luther King Community Center ran out of heaters.  That’s in Long Beach, Long Island, New York, for those that can help.

We’ve had losses among our friends and in the family.  I’ve talked about that before so I won’t dwell on it.   We were gifted by those souls in that we knew them and they enriched our lives.

Not everything that year was hard.  Joy came into my life with the birth of my grand-daughter  Penelope.   I’ve learned many things from her so far.  Don’t put my hand too close to her mouth as she has a tooth coming in.  LOL  Everything seen from the right perspective can be funny.  Upside down is a good way to view life.   Dogs and cats are hilarious.  I will have to spend more time being upside down.

Pinterest is soothing.  I love clicking on photos and repinning.  If you have not tried Pinterest, Google search it and check it out.   From Pinterest, I’ve reposted a photo of the gate of Tintagel Castle.   This bit of what remains of castle clinging to a cliff is according to legend the birthplace of King Arthur.   It is also the associated with King Mark, whose nephew Tristan fell in love with Isolde.   Hidden in the cliffs and rocks beyond, Merlin’s Cave is supposed to be waiting.   There might still be some magic there.

Why did I post the photo of Tintagel’s gate?   What have I learned from 2012?  The gate is always open and leads to wonder.  There are still people who care, and there’s still joy to be found in the little things.

–Susan

Susan Hanniford Crowley

http://www.susanhannifordcrowley.com

Filed under: A Lesson in Love, Susan Hanniford Crowley, Writer's Life