2016: We Survived

By: Laura Steiner

2016 sucked.  At least that’s what a lot of my friends would have me believe.  And that may have been true for many.   Take me for example.  I had a December where everything happened all at once.  I had two illnesses in my family, one death (my grandmother), and my car quit working.  But I survived.  I enjoyed the support of my family, and friends.  And that’s what’s missing is this ongoing debate on 2016.  No matter what happened to us on a personal or professional level we survived.  And because  we survived, we get a second chance to do something different.  Maybe we get in touch with a long, lost friend or relative.  Maybe some of us will actually stick to this whole “getting fit” resolution.  Whatever it is we get that chance now, because we live.  We continue.  We survive.

Col. Chris Hadfield published a list of 46 positive things that happened.  Number 19 was that Canadian researchers developed a vaccine for Ebola.  Number 27 points out that world hunger is at its lowest point in 25 years.  Number 43 read: Individual Canadians were so welcoming that the country set a world standard for how to privately sponsor and resettle refugees.  Can year with these three things in it, and many more be said to have sucked?

This year had its moments.  In Canada we had the Fort McMurray Wildfires, that at one point raged out of control.  I did a live blog for another site.  I’d update a few times a day with the latest information.  It was a tragic story in the sense that people lost their homes, and jobs.  But I found myself looking for the positive stories on purpose, and I found them.  Jordan Redshaw stayed running the municipality’s twitter handle throughout the fires.  People in Calgary, and Edmonton opening their homes to the displaced.  Fundraisers being held by Syrian refugees simply because Canada opened itself to them, and they wanted to repay the kindness. Canada unified itself to help Fort Mac.   It’s a red letter day when this country unites for something other than hockey.

Internationally, it was the year of the impossible.  A billionaire reality T.V. Star became the leader of the  free world.  On one hand yes, it’s cause for some concern  because he’s a wild-card. It proves anyone can President.  The Presidential race itself proved America is ready for a female President, but maybe not Hillary Clinton.  The advancement towards that possibility is something to celebrate in itself although she lost.

2016 may have been a tough year for many on a personal or professional level.   We all  survived and our reward is a bright new year full of possibility.  Let’s make it a good one.

Happy New Year!