It’s rare on this blog that I give you a photographic glance into my life, but what the hell…

2010 – My Year in Photos (There’s music, too. Fancy-pants, right?)

I remember being a kid and thinking that time passed at a ridiculously slow pace. It seemed like it took forever for me to get out of kindergarten, 3rd grade, middle school, etc. Now, it seems, that in the blink of an eye – another year has passed.

For me, 2010 has been a year full of happy memories, incredible firsts and a few sad endings, too.

This year has taught me many things. Thanks to 2010, I learned how to change diapers, plan a fundraiser, build a snowman (sad, right?), use Groupon, and speak a little more Spanish (thanks, Mexico!). But, perhaps the biggest (and most serious) lesson I’ll take away from 2010 is that none of us are guaranteed another day. We have this day, so we should live our lives the way we would like to be remembered tomorrow. So much of our lives are wrapped up in what we will do next week, or what we would like to do/achieve in 5 years…and, that’s ok, we are taught to set goals and work towards them. But, what matters, what really matters, is what we do with the time we have right now.

I guess you could say that this year I realized my own mortality. That sounds incredibly morbid, I know, but it’s the truth. And, maybe it is a bit morbid. Maybe it’s even a bit narcissistic. But, even so, for me – it was an “ah-ha” moment. If my time on earth was over tomorrow, I hope no one would focus on what I didn’t do. Sure, I would want each of you to mourn (significantly, I might add – I’ll be watching), but it’s my hope that you would say, “She laughed, she loved, she gave, she lived.”

My hope for you in 2011 (and much beyond!) is that you resolve to live the fullest life you can every day. Because in the blink of an eye, another year will have passed us by.

“I wanted a perfect ending. Now I’ve learned, the hard way, that some poems don’t rhyme, and some stories don’t have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what’s going to happen next. Delicious ambiguity. The goal is to live a full, productive life even with all that ambiguity. No matter what happens, the important thing is that the days that you have had, you will have lived.”
-Gilda Radner

A dear friend of mine gave birth to a healthy baby boy on her birthday today. Yes, she had a baby on her birthday. And, before you go all “What a wonderful gift” on me, please recognize that I know that. Her little boy is the most precious gift she could ever receive.

That said, her husband better have a really nice present for her after laboring (literally) on her birthday. Something that involves diamonds, perhaps. I’m just sayin’.

All day today, I checked my phone constantly to see how far along my friend was in the birthing process. Here’s a little snippet between me and another single girlfriend:

Anna Beth: Just forwarded you the text I got.
Me: Thanks. Pushing – yuck.
Anna Beth: Exactly.
Me: The only thing I want to push is a cocktail towards me. Or you.

Can you tell that we haven’t exactly found our maternal instinct(s) yet?

My head is killing me, and the cause is undetermined.

It could be because I ate my weight in carbs over the holidays, it could be because this was my first day back at work, or it could be the lingering cologne of someone I encountered today. (20 bucks says it was a Christmas present, and whomever wrapped that gift should be shot. 5 times.)

A carb/non-work hangover with a splash of Stetson. It’s a miracle my head hasn’t exploded by now.

Very late on Christmas night, snow fell as far south as Augusta, Georgia. When I awoke on the 26th, the ground and trees were covered in a light dusting of snow. This has never happened in my lifetime.

Later in the day (to capture the historic moment) I took a picture of my house, still decorated for Christmas, with the snow on the ground. Looking at it, I wondered how many times my (almost) 90-year-old home has seen snow in December. And then, how many families have celebrated the joys of the season in that home.

So, I’m going to do some research on the house to see what I can find out. I just hope I don’t find out anything too spooky about the place. I have enough trouble “resting easy” as it is.

My dear friend Anna Beth sent me this e-card today, and I almost hurt myself laughing. Anyone born near the holiday season can relate:

My 10 favorite holiday movies:

10.The Holiday
Ok, so it’s definitely not a “classic” but I love the cheesy story line…and I have, from time to time, wished that I could swap houses with someone for the holiday season. If you haven’t, you need a better imagination.

9. A Christmas Carol
Don’t judge me for saying this, but I actually prefer the Disney version. I’ll take any of them, though. Except for the Lifetime one with Vanessa Williams. Horrible.

8. White Christmas
The music alone puts me in the Christmas spirit.

7. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (The Dr. Seuss cartoon version)
I’d live in Whoville for the month of December if I could.

6. It’s A Wonderful Life
It’s a classic, and if this one doesn’t warm your heart, you could be Satan.

5. Home Alone
It’s just not Christmas if I don’t see Kevin McAllister’s darling little face and tricky antics.

4. A Christmas Story
I’m a sucker for the TBS marathon. The narration (Ralphie as an adult) often makes me laugh out loud. Case in point: “Now, I had heard that word at least ten times a day from my old man. He worked in profanity the way other artists might work in oils or clay.” Hats off to the writers, who were some kind of funny.

3. Love Actually
Eight story lines all wrapped into one (with a pretty Christmas bow), you have to be in the mood for a chick-flick when you watch it. That said, if you are in the mood, it’ll leave you with a feel good feeling about…what else? Love.

2. Miracle on 34th Street
Natalie Wood, New York, Macy’s and Santa Claus on trial? Yes, please.

1. Christmas Vacation
Every time I watch it, I’m both thankful and a little sad that I don’t have a cousin like Eddie.

Remember a few years back when Oprah’s “Favorite Things” were ideas? I talked a lot of shiz about that, so you can imagine how excited I was this year when she did not one, but two episodes of her favorite things. (I’m not saying her producers read my blog and realized how badly they’d messed up, but I’m just sayin‘. She did two shows this year.)

Given away were iPads, cashmere sweaters, 3D televisions, cruises, cars, and more. It was “Oprah’s Favorite Things” on crack. They literally had paramedics on the set. Literally.

If you are a glutton for punishment, like me, and want to covet all the fabulous things she gave away, just click here.

I regret that I’m just now getting around to posting something about the death of Elizabeth Edwards. Her public “farewell” message was one of hope and gratitude, and if you haven’t read it – I encourage you to do so.

You all know that I have been sustained throughout my life by three saving graces—my family, my friends, and a faith in the power of resilience and hope. These graces have carried me through difficult times and they have brought more joy to the good times than I ever could have imagined. The days of our lives, for all of us, are numbered. We know that. And, yes, there are certainly times when we aren’t able to muster as much strength and patience as we would like. It’s called being human. But I have found that in the simple act of living with hope, and in the daily effort to have a positive impact in the world, the days I do have are made all the more meaningful and precious. And for that I am grateful. It isn’t possible to put into words the love and gratitude I feel to everyone who has and continues to support and inspire me every day. To you I simply say: you know.

With love,
Elizabeth

May we all be as graceful, giving and brave as Elizabeth Edwards was.

A confession via gchat this morning:

Meigs: I have a fake tree this year. It’s also white, so it’s not even pretending to be real.
Me: Bahahaha. I. Love. It.