Celebrity deaths like Chief Justice Scalia, Harper Lee, George Michael, Nancy Reagan, Doris Roberts, Prince, Morley Safer, Muhammed Ali, Arnold Palmer, John Glenn, Carrie Fisher, Debbie Reynolds. Even this abbreviated list seems staggering.
The circus that was the campaign, the debates, the Wikileaks, and the election. Mercy.
Even in my own corner of the universe, dear friends have suffered loss, struggling marriages, hard life transitions, unemployment, depression, financial despair, and a myriad of other symptoms of a very broken world.
This 2016 recap was even daunting. I thought I wouldn't find much evidence of goodness or light.
But it's all the more reason why this annual exercise is so important. It's a reminder to me that amid the heaviness, disappointments, and burdens, there is laughter, rejoicing, and community to be found.
Here are a few things I will cherish from 2016:
book i couldn't put down
Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance
favorite fiction book
The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom
proudest achievement
Running a half marathon in the same amount of time I did seven years ago
the time i burst uncontrollably into tears
Upon learning of the death of a close friend's mom
big kid moment
Meeting a real life LEGO Master Builder and holding this masterpiece
most fearful moment
Attempting to reach Devil's Bridge on a hike in Sedona, Arizona, but mostly landing on our tails instead
best view
We didn't make it to Devil's Bridge, but this view was just fine
performing arts highs
Chicago with Amy and Rylee in Birmingham
The Sound of Music with Mom at the Fox Theater in Atlanta
favorite concert
Harry Connick, Jr. in Birmingham
biggest surprise
The presidential election
favorite long weekend getaway
Reuniting with my Turner gal cousins in Nashville
cheapest and most enjoyable meal
Shared small plates at Butcher and Bee in East Nashville
best story from a minor travel mishap
Discovering a dead car battery in downtown Franklin, and bumming a ride off nice strangers to our rental house
spent my birthday
With mom, Kari, and Miss Reeves in the mountains (and Dad made a brief appearance)
favorite smell
Blackberry and Bay perfume by Jo Malone
best money spent
$85 for TSA Precheck
podcasts that kept me company on my travels
The Happy Hour with Jamie Ivey
Front Porch with the Fitzes
songs i repeated a million times
"Humble and Kind" by Tyler Ward and Diamond White
"Mercy" by Matt Redman
favorite albums
God's Highway by Sandra McCracken
Behold by Lauren Daigle
marked off the bucket list
Visited the L.L. Bean store and ate fresh, steamed lobster in Maine
bucket list moment that was better than i imagined
Eating lobster in Portland, Maine
not on the bucket list but did it anyway
Pink Jeep Tour in Sedona
netflix obsession
The Crown
most challenging bible study
Judges by Jen Wilkin
And last, but certainly not least,
the too many celebrations from which to pick a favorite
Nikol and Steve's wedding
Rylee's high school graduation
Haleigh's college graduation
Christopher's residency graduation
Meg and Drew's wedding
Pat's 30th birthday
Happy New Year, friends. May you find much goodness and light in 2017.
