2015

To be completely honest, I've not thought too highly of 2014. 

At times this gut-punch of a year has been unfair to the point of almost cruel, and I'd be lying if I didn't acknowledge the hundreds of times I fell to my knees and begged God to either make it all better, or just tell me what to do, how to fix it, how to help... And yet… 

Oh, and yet… 

This was the one I will always remember as the year I packed up and drove almost 5,000 miles in solo road trips - often with no more than 48 hours notice. This year I watched five of my best friends get married, and three of them then become parents. This year I hiked almost 60 miles in four different states. This was the year my goddaughter was born. I watched as a dear friend suddenly had to become braver than she ever bargained for, and marveled at the way the human spirit rises from brokenness and still finds beauty. Countless holidays, birthdays, happy hours, dinners, get-togethers, bonfires, just-because-we-all-have-tomorrow-off-and-let's-hang-outs. I photographed three weddings, lots of babies, many vineyards, and so much goodness. 

When I see it that way, I'm pretty sure I won't look back on this year and remember the heartbreaks and frustrations. Those won't be forgotten, but rather than be angry about all the things that went wrong, I'll be grateful for how that has led to what's right. 

So for everyone who's ready to tell this year to eff right off, I'm with you... But let's remember 2014 not as the year that tried to break us, but as this: the year that made us. 

Here's to you, 2015 - let's see what you've got.