There was something very special about this year’s holiday dinner. Yes, we had some new faces, and we chose a new venue. The spirit was much the same of years’ past–lively, fun, a little rowdy at times. I sat in the corner, quietly taking it all in. I was overwhelmed with gratitude for these men and women and for what they do on behalf of YardScapes.
I had to leave the next morning for Colorado. I’ve known for some time now that you’d all be in good hands when I’m out of town. Still, I’ve always been uneasy about being away. This was the first time in 25 years where I could just let go. It’s an incredible feeling. For any of you following my comings and goings on Facebook, you’d have seen me skiing, spending time with my brother and his family, or hanging out at Mile High Stadium.
It’s the end of the year, and in many ways, 2012 seems like a blur to me. I’m trying to slow it down, to reflect, and to be still. It’s difficult to look back at the year and to not mention how 2012 was punctuated by deep, deep sadness. When I think about our friends and families in Newtown, it gets a little bit harder to breathe. I am praying for their peace.
“It is a miracle if you can find true friends, and it is a miracle if you have enough food to eat, and it is a miracle if you get to spend your days and evenings doing whatever it is you like to do, and the holiday season—like all the other seasons—is a good time not only to tell stories of miracles, but to think about the miracles in your own life, and to be grateful for them.”
― Lemony Snicket, The Lump of Coal
To finding the miracles, presently
Happy 2013!
Warmly,
Shayne
