525,600 minutes

There are probably those of you who read the title and are humming a catchy tune from "Rent" and others hoping that this entry doesn't take that long to read.

I was going to post my year in a nutshell:

1 less parent - that means both gone - definitely some transition involved there

1 additional heartbreak (what do you suppose that looks like physically? Is the lining of my heart a bit thicker? Do I have little tally marks that look like white scars on my heart? I'm sure it's written on me somewhere or another)

Great times with family and friends. Celebrating meeting some new ones and mourning the loss of some others.

Expanding my world - literally - by going to Europe and cooking for missionaries, purchasing a car on my own and other new tasks

Watching a wonderful kid go through a rough heart surgery and come out at the other end still making the world brighter and his mother's world wonderful and frustrating

Transforming from being a person who wants to run to morphing (not so easily at times!) into being "a runner"

Celebrating, being filled with hope for the future, and living life to the fullest in the moment

and looking forward to to new adventures

(ok - I guess you got the year in an nutshell anyways)

but. . . .instead of expanding on that. . . I think it's worth reading the lyrics of the song "Seasons of Love" from the Rent musical, so here they are. Read, ponder the future, and have a full and blessed New Year!

Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand
Six Hundred Minutes
Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand
Moments so dear
Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand
Six Hundred Minutes
How Do You Measure - Measure A Year?

In Daylights - In Sunsets
In Midnights - In Cups Of Coffee
In Inches - In Miles
In Laughter - In Strife

In - Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand
Six Hundred Minutes
How Do You Measure
A Year In The Life?

How About Love?
How About Love?
How About Love?
Measure In Love

Seasons of Love.
Seasons of Love.

Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand
Six Hundred Minutes
Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand
Journeys To Plan

Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand
Six Hundred Minutes
How Do You Measure The Life
Of A Woman Or A Man

In Truth That She Learned
Or In Times That He Cried
In Bridges He Burned
Or The Way That She Died

It's Time Now - To Sing Out
Though The Story Never Ends
Let's Celebrate
Remember A Year In The Life Of Friends

Remember the Love
Remember the Love
Remember the Love
Measure In Love

Oh you got to you got to remember the love,
You know that love is a gift from up above
Share love, give love, spread love
Measure, measure your life in love.
Measure your life, measure your life in love