Week 1 - What went right in 2011?

This is actually much tougher than I thought it was going to be - despite some joyous occasions in 2011, it held much more sorrow than I care to experience again.  It was a year that started with the sudden death of an uncle (and not a thanksgiving and Christmas uncle, one that we grew up with and saw frequently), a year that saw my son hospitalized, and a year that saw my beloved dad suffer far more than any human should before he passed away in October.  So it would be much easier for me to wallow in my self-pity and create a list of what went wrong, what I would change, what I wish was different, than of what went right.  But, here goes.

Top on my list of what went right was my wedding.  My partner and I had been together for thirteen years and engaged for six, and had just never gotten our acts together to get married.  When my dad's cancer took a turn for the worse, and his remaining time was being measured in weeks, I decided that if I was going to get married that I wanted my dad to escort me down the aisle.  We managed to plan a wedding in less than 4 weeks, and it was perfect.

Two days after our wedding, Dad decided that he wasn't going forward with any more treatments for his cancer and that he was ready to go.  He passed away exactly one week later.  Though I miss him with every fibre of my being, it is a comfort to know that he did what he wanted to do, that we have the pictures and the memories, and that he was able to make the decision he did on his own terms.

I also made a commitment to myself in 2011 that I wanted to lose weight.  I was a size 12, and had been for years, but was drifting towards a size 14 and getting really unhappy with my appearance.  Some of the ladies at my work were on the Weight Watchers program and were having success, so I decided to give it a go.  I lost a total of 30 pounds and went from that size 12/14 to a size 8, which is the smallest I've been since high school!  I successfully completed the maintenance program and have managed to stay below my goal weight despite some of the challenges that were thrown at me.  The holiday season is another challenge that I am currently going through (there is far to much chocolate in my house right now!) but I know how to lose and maintain and am determined to stay at my new size.

My job is another thing that I truly enjoy (at least most of the time); it energizes me and gives me a sense of fulfillment and completion at the end of every day.  I am successful enough to keep a positive outlook, but I am challenged daily and am given the opportunity to do what I do best.  I have been with my current company since 2007, and I'm looking forward to my 5 year anniversary in spring 2012.

My family is my life.  My husband and son keep me grounded and lift my spirits each and every minute of every day.  My husband loves me for who I am, puts up with my crap, and is truly my life partner in everything I do.  My son is pure joy.  He laughes, loves, plays, sings, dances, does everything with such abandon, and it's truly my privilege to see the world through his eyes.  My mom, my sister, my in-laws, my extended family - we all get along and are able to see each other frequently and enjoy our time together.

Despite the challenges that this past year has thrown me and my family, I have so much to be grateful for.  For my family and friends, for our health, for my job, for financial security, for the safety of the town in which we live, and especially for the time we were able to spend with my dad before he  passed.  It is so easy to focus on the negative - thank you Deb at Home Life Simplified, for this week's challenge and for making me focus on some of the joys of the past year.