The end of a year is always a time for reflection. For me it's been an amazing year. I hiked the Inca trail in Peru to Machu Picchu in October. The trail is a four-day trek at high altitudes. I was challenged but I loved it. I think sometimes when we challenge ourselves we find out we're stronger and more resilient than we believed possible. I celebrated my daughter's 21st birthday (not as much as SHE celebrated it, but that's another story) That was a bittersweet moment because she's my youngest. My baby. And if she's now 21, she's an adult by every definition. And if she's an adult, then what happened to my job as a mom? Is it over? Of course she'll always be my baby and I'll always be her mom, but in some sense I know that our paths diverge. It's sad and wonderful and I look at the woman she's become and I see this person who is all grown up and amazing. And who really doesn't need me very much any more. Which is why I can do things like trekking in Peru without worrying about what would happen to my kids if I died. Because I'm a mother, I worry about these things.
This was also the year that I embraced the ebook. I got a Kindle for Christmas last year and after a bit of moaning about how 'it's not the same as a real book' I discovered all the ways that an ereader is better than a real book. I love the convenience, especially when you travel, I love that you can scroll through a list of books and decide what you want to read - out of hundreds of possibilities -- all in one slim device. I love that I can decide I want a new book and, from home in my bed, I can download a book in a few seconds. I've discovered new authors and I've got a few of my own books as ebooks. All three of my ebooks were bestsellers at one point through the year. That was really cool for me.
I have amazing friends, amazing efriends! And amazing readers. I am thankful for all of you.
Happy reading,
Nancy