Dear 2009,

    I can remember vividly ringing you in. I was home watching you on TV as you made your traditional moonlight entrance. At that moment I had trouble focusing on you. I found myself thinking about your counterpart 2008. 2008 left us all hanging from a proverbial thread. The news of the world was grim and spirits seemed collectively low. We greeted you with trepidation.

  It’s not for me to speak for the world but I feel that my statements are pretty much accurate. As for me, you were the year that tested my mettle. You were the year that kept my eyes and ears glued to financial reports. You were the year that drove me deeper into the political landscape. You were the year that made me feel very grateful for what I have and you were the year that showed me how to work harder than ever. You were the year that told me to keep fun to a minimum and work more than you ever have before and so I did.

 I chose to work harder at the job, home, the gym and at my personal finances. I chose to ensconce myself in books and learn everything that I can about a wide range of topics. Twelve books read in twelve months and countless magazine articles too. Your storms made me wiser, your storms made me stronger. I can look back and say that you taught me many good lessons.

 On the surface you were like any other year. You gave us historical firsts like an African American President. You gave us a new hero in the likes of Captain Chesley Sullenberger who somehow managed to land a plane in the Hudson River with no fatalities. You offered us Tsunami’s, wars, and illness and of course you surprised us with untimely losses like David Caradine, Michael Jackson and Ron Ashton. (There are just too many to list). For good measure and thought provoking conversation you offered us the health care debate. That one was a slick move; I commend you on that one.

 So now it’s time to bid you farewell. You will quietly slip away into the darkness and as always the New Year will be rung into the moonlight and we will collectively have a crack at it.

 Dude, you were one heck of a roller coaster ride but in the end I give thanks for what you have taught me and I’m not afraid to say how grateful I am. Thank you for the lessons. My gut tells me that many others may feel the same way. If nothing else I’m sure that everyone agrees that you were one tripped out roller coaster ride.

 For anyone that took a moment to read this, I wish you the best of luck in 2010. There will be new challenges and equally important there will be new hope. We are all human and we share this planet together. So in short, we are in this together. May we all find it in ourselves to work together as we go through our next set of trials, tribulations and celebrations.