The Thing About 2016

Warning (especially for new readers): this blog occasionally contains foul language. Some readers may be obscenely offended. Others won’t care at all. Only you can judge into which camp you fall.

Grief is a strange thing. One moment, you can be totally fine. The next, you’re crying in a pub over a beer and plate of fries.

This is a true story.

So I’m spending time with my husband enjoying some small talk over a beer and we’re having a quick review of 2016 - specifically, how so many of our friends have had babies this year, which is nice. And while many might feel this year was full of miserable things e.g. Brexit, Trump being elected as the first Idiot of the United States (conversely, Hillary to not have been elected as the country’s first female president despite, arguably, being one of the most qualified and experienced persons to have ever been in the running), Aleppo, and all those deaths of notable and beloved artists and personalities from around the world, these friends who find themselves new parents or parents again might be hard pressed to think that this entire year was all bad.

That said, my experience of 2016 went something like this: the first half was spent feeling distressed over my father’s failing health, then he died in July, and then I spent the second half of 2016 filling my time with busy-ness so that I could avoid feeling guilty about being so relieved that all of the worry and anguish over the inevitability of his death was finished.

It was just a shame that my husband and I had our little “year in review” in a public place where, one second, we’re talking about babies and the next all I could think about and nothing else was my dad and death and relief and guilt and my eyes are leaking and they won’t stop and the next table over is wondering, “Uh oh. What is her problem?”

All this to say, in my humble opinion, that this past year was totally and utterly shit. In conclusion, 2016: you can go fuck yourself. Good riddance. 

Training and Fundraising (thank you!) Update

On a happier note, I’d like to extend my gratitude to all of you who have donated to my fundraising campaign for Team Diabetes. I’m just over a third of the way to my fundraising goal of $3,500 and it’s all due to you, so thanks for that.

For those who would like to donate but are a little strapped given the expenses of the season, no worries! You have until May so please make note of the campaign and give when you can.

As for training, between #snowmageddon (alternatively, #snowmageddon2016) in Vancouver and being out of a town a few days, I came down with a cold so instead of forcing myself to keep running through the sore throats and runny noses, I figured I’d give myself a break - particularly as it’s so far been a strong base building effort - and take a few days off. I shall resume running as soon as I’m able to kick this cold to the curb. Hopefully the snow will also be gone by then, although not likely by the looks of things.