Without a doubt, 2016 is a year most of us won't soon forget. The sheer number of celebrity deaths seems to continue to mount in the last few days of this wretched 12-month period. Many of us watched the icons of our childhood blip off the radar of our life in shock and disbelief.
Starting with Wayne 'Trapper John' Rogers, this year decimated 70s and 80s pop culture. Admittedly, I was most devastated by the death of David Bowie on January 10th, the loss of one of my favorite childhood icons. Alan Rickman, Dan Haggerty (Grizzly Adams was my favorite show), and Gary Shandling left this world, and by April, when Prince died, I didn't think it could get much worse. I mean, enough already! We were given a relatively quiet May and then June rolled around and the man who could float like a butterfly and sting like a bee took his last breath and everyone's favorite TV dad, Dick Van Patten joined the afterlife party. Anton Yelchin was a sad shocking death. July was quiet and it looked as though maybe the year was backing off of those famed faves, maybe realizing the greedy nature with which it had been behaving. Alas, by the end of August Gene Wilder was gone, and while it was sad, something seemed right about him joining Gilda after far too long apart. September claimed Arnold Palmer and by the end of November, Leonard Cohen would be singing for the angels, Florence Henderson joined TV husband Robert Reed, and Fidel Castro finally bit the dust. Eleven months of just plain awful apparently needed a fitting end. This year made the most use out of December, taking Alan Thicke, Zsa Zsa Gabor, George Michael, Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds. As the minutes ticked down and the new year stood in wait to take over, 2016 put the second bookend in place, claiming another beloved M.A.S.H. star, Father Mulcahey (William Christopher).
The year may not truly be to blame, but over a period of 52 weeks, a whole hell of a lot of shit was dumped on us all, painfully highlighted by the most ridiculous election this country has likely ever witnessed. Personally, there was the loss of an amazing woman. My stepfather's mother - my grandmother for nearly 20 years and my sons' great-grandmother for their entire lives. She was truly a loving, giving and patient soul who will be missed greatly.
For all the shit that the past year brought, there were some great moments, too. I got to visit an old friend while doing the college tour with my youngest. I started dating a bonafide grown-up man, who is one of the biggest reasons for me to not hate 2016 in its entirety. My job contract extended another year, I enrolled in a bachelor degree program and I got to visit my sister and her family with my mother.
The high points may not have been great in number, but they were overloaded in quality and meaning, making them intensely memorable. There were many hiccups, hurdles, and downward slopes over the course of the last 12 months, but I am thankful for those few, shining moments of awesome that helped me stay grounded and focused on what really matters in life.
Today is a blessing simply because it brings another possibility of exploring and enjoying the world around us. We may signify a clean slate with the writing of a new year, but there is always the chance to start again, try something new and appreciate that which we didn't before each and every time we wake up to another day. We shouldn't lose sight of the power we have simply because the days may stack the odds against us. How we perceive the road ahead will have the most impact on the way we choose to live it. As always, I choose to move beyond the negative and hold fast to the light of actively practicing positive choices, thoughts, and actions. This year, and every year to come has the potential to be great - all we have to do is make ourselves open enough to receive it and focused enough to recognize the possibilities that it carries.
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