reflections on 2010

It was, well...an interesting year. Doesn't even seem like a full year has gone by since last New Year's to be honest. Time really does fly by, even though some days feel like forever.

Let's see...2010. What did you hold?

• The worst New Year's of my life. I had never felt so alone at midnight in my entire life as I did that time...this year is not going to be a repeat!
• Finished my LTS at Alden and then subbed per diem there through the rest of the year.
• Went to Toronto with mom to see the King Tut exhibit at the AGO, learning that a facial mask is more fun than shopping with her.
• Learned that some districts/superintendents will lie through their teeth to get the cheapest candidate, and then they always come crawling back to try to get the better one.
• Spent another week in the hospital which involved being slapped by a doctor and refusing to see two others ever again.
• Finally got diagnosed with what's been wrong with me my whole life...celiac disease.
• Started my job at KE...which has had all of its own ups and downs.
• Gone on an awful blind date that will forever live in the record books. "Good luck in all of your future travels" indeed!
• Finished up my Masters degree...marking the point where if I truly wanted to be done with school, I could be. (But I'm not...)

So what does 2011 hold? What resolutions am I making?

• No more pop...well, my mini goal is to make it up to Valentine's Day before having another glass. It's 3:42pm now on NYE, and I have one more glass to finish off from the bottle and then all of it is gone out of the house. The only exception will be a bit of ginger ale when I have a really bad stomach ache.
• More fruits and veggies and less refined sugar (e.g. ice cream and candy.)
• Join a gym and actually go at least once a week (ideally more, but well...starting small here!)
• Pay off my one credit card with the highest balance so they can stop harassing me for only paying the minimum. This I fear will take the most discipline out of all the resolutions...

Wishing you all a very happy and blessed New Year!

in a land called Narnia...

When my brothers and I were little...there were certain videos that we always rented from the library. "Cirque du Soleil" videos, anything "Star Wars", and the animated "The Chronicles of Narnia." We would watch them, and then pretend we were in them. We were circus performers, Jedis fighting off the dark force, and warriors in Aslan's army against the evil White Witch. To me then, they were just nice stories...fabulous places where you could escape to for an afternoon.

I didn't read "The Chronicles of Narnia" complete set until I was in my early twenties. I absolutely adored them...they're my favorite books out there to be completely honest. The imagery, the beauty, the truth behind the story. I knew the background of the books...that they're the child's version of "The Bible"...and that made them all the better for me. The first book as the creation story, that as Aslan sings louder and louder and louder, more and more is created and formed. The battles of good versus evil, temptations, overcoming personal evils in seeking the good. The last book being the book of Revelation, only not as scary...like I said, child's version. The Pevensie children were like my brothers and I...fighting like normal kids do, but sticking together through thick and thin. Lucy seriously is my favorite character in a book...for her simple belief and faith in things. She is sweet, smart, and so willingly believes without needing to see...she's a beautiful character.

And then Disney started to make live-action films based on the books. "The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe" came out. I cheered when Santa Claus appeared (and still get misty eyed when Lucy turns to Susan and says "told you he was real.") I hooted and hollered when I saw griffins on the good side...which if I could have any mythical pet in the world, that would be it (never mind the fact that Golden Griffins are my alma mater's mascot.) I couldn't help but smile and feel safe when Aslan appeared. "Prince Caspian" came out a few years later, introducing us to a real-life (well...computer animated) Reepicheep. It wasn't as good of a film, and I cried my eyes out when the group literally got slaughtered in Peter's failed attempt at storming the castle. But when the trees came to life again, helping Aslan's army win against the bad guys, I cried again.

"The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" came out yesterday, and of course mom and I went to see it. Talk about beautiful. It's one thing to read the books and imagine it in your head, but this is one movie where it lived up to my imagination. And when they reached Aslan's Land, and brave little Reepicheep begs entry, knowing that he's not worthy, but getting to see it with his own eyes because he made it...I was crying with the best of them. They didn't show it to us, but just based on faith alone, it needs to be absolutely beautiful beyond anyone's imagination. Watching sweet Lucy and brave revived Edmund say goodbye to the land of Narnia because they gained everything they could from it, I cried.

I can't imagine a world without Narnia...even if it's not a real land. It's a state of mind...a belief...a fabulous place where animals can talk, where mythical creatures exist, and where a lion is king. It's a place where child-like faith rules, showing us that we should all strive to be that way. Because when you get down to it all...faith is all we have.