We were having a great time in 2014. There were so many good things that happened, it just felt like our year. From me completing my doctoral work, to Kelly and me taking on new job resposibilities, with even Kaelyn making a choir she auditioned for, all things were going the Carrs' way. Though we did lose some beloved family members this year, all things considered, it was a banner year. It just didn't end well.
In November, Kelly's lung collapsed for the second time in eight years. In order to ensure that it wouldn't happen again, the doctors recommended surgery. Neither of us knew how difficult it would be; she spent eight days in the hospital, making it home just before Thanksgiving. Her recovery took even longer than we anticipated, though we should realized that hundreds of microscopic staples in her lung as well as multiple tubes in her body could be problematic.
Kelly was still on the mend when I started feeling horrible. I was in so much pain one evening in December that I decided to drive myself to the emergency room. My fears of being a hypercondriac were relieved when, the next morning I had an appendectomy. It was my first ever surgery. Though I made it home in under 24 hours, once again, we had no idea how long the recovery process would take. I thought I'd be 100% within a couple of days. Here, almost four weeks later, I'm finally starting to feel normal again.
As a result, our Christmas celebration was disjointed. Yep, we'll pack up the Christmas tree this weekend, but the majority of our ornaments remain in a pile at the bottom of the tree; things were so hectic, we barely decorated. We just didn't have the energy to complete all the activities we wanted to during the season.
As the year drew to a close, we repeatedly heard, "Well at least your year's almost over."
I understood their well-intended sentiment but I just couldn't buy in.
Despite our illnesses (which might not have been so taxing if they were spread out just a little) I'll still think about this year fondly. But that reflects my philosophy of flipping the calendar. Sure, I love a brand new year—one rife with so many possibilities—but time is time. Some years may be challenging more than others but they're neither blessed nor cursed. Regardless of what comes, we keep chugging along. It's all we can do.
So here's to 2015. Though I was doing just fine with 2014.