Resolving 2009

It's 3:37 am, and I should be going to sleep...should have been asleep an hour ago. But instead...this.

I used to be a quote guru. Just loved quotes, collected them, printed them out, pasted them to my wall, and pored over them. It didn't so much matter to me who said what, but instead, what was said and how I could apply it to my life. So, like any writer, I could start out 2010 with some mind-blowing quotation that I found yesterday. Instead, I'd much rather stick with what's tried and true - a quotation included on a sheet of paper my club soccer coach handed out to our team in preparation for a tournament I don't know how many years ago:

"Some men will give up their designs when they have almost reached the goal, while others, on the contrary, will obtain a victory, by exerting at the last moment, more vigorous effort than ever before." ~ Herodotus

Centuries after the father of modern history, NC State great Jimmy Valvano summed up these words quite nicely: "Never give up. Don't ever, ever give up."

2009 has been a tough year for me, no doubt. It seems the odd years are significant in my life - my parents were born in 1939 and 1953; they were married in 1983; my sister and I were born in 1989 and 1985, respectively; I graduated from high school in 2003 and Duke in 2007; I lost my mom in 2007. All odd years, pun intended.

In any case, I approach new years with a mix of optimism and fear, as I'm sure many people do. Really, these years are only some human invention, but they take on great significance in our lives. I can happily say that if January 1, 2010, gives any indication, I have hope for a wonderful year. I think that hope is half the battle - setting my mind to making things go well for the next 364 todays. I think that hope - or optimism - or positive outlook - or whatever you'd prefer to call it - is also my resolution for the next year. Resolve to be hopeful. Resolve to keep my head up, eyes on the road ahead.

2010 will bring us another Winter Olympics and another World Cup. It ushers in a new decade that seems so far removed, yet so soon in the wake of Y2K. I was 14 at the dawn of the last decade. A 9th grader, with bleach blonde hair and *NSYNC plastered all over my locker. How quickly these last 10 years have flown...how quickly the next 10 will as well. I want to make them worth my while. 2009 was tough, but I've had my friends and a pinch of my own determination to get me through to 2010. With them by my side, maybe 2010 can be a significant(ly good) year, despite its evenness. Never give up.