So long 2013, you've been a good year!
Not saying this in terms of the number of events which left
me triumphant or downright happy. You've been a good year for learning, growing
up and seeing things more realistically.
Since the very beginning I've known you'd be special. I had
this intuition that I won't be the same person or have the same experiences
after you've passed. I mean, graduating high school is no small matter. But
let's face it, you had much more in store for me than that!
You broke me…several times and through small intervals of time. Did it hurt? Heck yeah. Do I regret
anything that lead to this breakage? Not even a bit.
And even though I
don't like feeling "schooled", I love learning new life lessons. And
you, 2013, offered more than I could ever ask for. You taught me that, in various ways, I'm still
a kid and should seek the guidance and advice of the more experienced. You
taught me that I ought not to believe every word of praise I receive, and
listen carefully for criticism coming from trusted sources. You showed me that
even if I drift apart from people there's always a chance for reconciliation,
and that the closest of friends could turn to perfect strangers and vice versa
in no time.
You taught me that I
shouldn't expect much from people; they were not created to please me and make
my every wish come true. You taught me to be patient and not to rush change or
improvement, like a fine wine needs aging, everything takes time to get better.
You also taught me not to wait for what I want to magically find its way to me,
but to go out there and actively pursue it hoping for the best. You showed me
in so many ways that there's always something new to learn, and that I should
never rely on my knowledge as "enough".
Last but not least, you
proved to me that God is always gracious, loving, just, able and good to me.
That I should trust Him with my life, my heart, my mind, and more importantly
my soul. He still wants me to be close to Him even if I try to pull myself
away. And for this, I'm more thankful than for anything else.
