I spent New Year's Eve at my dear friends' Sara and Derek's place - with their awesome boys Declan and Jack and another couple. I took the train home at about 11:45 PM - yes, you read that correctly, I left right before the proverbial ball dropped! It is about 5 stops on the L and a bit of a walk so I had some time to reflect. I, in fact, thought about the profound and witty post I might post for New Year's. I couldn't decide whether it was better to celebrate the end of a long, rather hard year. Or to celebrate the end of a year of growing and realizing what is really important.

There it is again, that both/and. I was struck that 2011 was a year of both/and at almost every moment. My brother has an awful relapse of cancer and my niece Lillian made her enterance into the world.

My parents' are selling the house of my childhood...of my becoming and little Jack announced his presence to the world.

Work was crazy and hard and full of people that I have grown to love and treasure. I am blessed to do work that I love and my work leaves me weary and a bit rootless.

Both/and. Cheers to 2011! I have this longing that 2012 will be a year of deeper, healthier roots, of wonderful moments with the little people in my life, of seasons of stillness without panic, of work that is meaningful and healthy, of dear friends, of the absence of cancer and sickness, a year full of thriving and time with those I love...