2014. The truth is, it was not one of my fondest years, although there was a lot of joy and new friends found in the fringes. It started with a very ill father in Kentucky (seven trips within two months); catching a flight at the last minute to be with a friend in England as she held a memorial service for her dear mum; and then getting caught in the Polar Vortex (remember the Mr. Blue Fiasco?) on the way home. Then, much to my surprise, a Facebook lament I wrote about being so weary from all the standardized testing was published by the Washington Post (and then an even stronger second publication later) and my world went CrAzY..making me even more weary than I had even written about. Ive spent my 2014 year and my own time and on my own dime meeting with the Governor; the Secretary of Education; Senators; State Representatives; School Board Members; and Congress people. I didnt even know the name of my own local rep (sad, but true) until this year and now, I have many of their cell phone numbers (which Im not afraid to use). And yet, things in education are worse than ever before and it has felt heartbreaking and defeating and oftentimes, has zapped my joy (and truly depressed me). Yet when I feel overwhelmed by it all and vow to walk away, I realize that, for some reason, I feel called to speak out for our children and it is the second time in my life that Ive known right when Im doing something at that very moment in time, that Im doing something I have been called to do and something I cant in good faith walk away from (though I wish I could). The only other time I felt that strong feeling of knowing just what I needed to do was when I married John and hospice or no hospice, I knew I needed to be with him and that God had our backs (and he did...giving us three and a half unexpected and glorious years together). In between all this advocating and campaigning and politicking, Ive met the most amazing people and learned that I LOVE being around activists. I love their spirit. I love their desire to be a part of something that matters. I love their efforts to bring good into the world. I also attended my first March on Washington with the BATs group (was the official photographer for that huge event) and was in awe by the talent, the creativity, and the selflessness of the people I met there. It has been a blast to see my photographs all over the internet and to have actually published one in the Washington Post. (Plus a few others in some local newspapers.) Throw in a European summer with the Care-oh and Dowan Show (Take 2) and a trip out to Seattle to stay with a friend I had never met in person (her friends warned her that I could be an axe-murderer) and then end the year with a bookend of a very ill mother and a 1 in 10,000 unexpected pregnancy of my daughter (ensuring upcoming excitement)...and youll see that 2015 has no sign of letting up in its typical Neely-Randall fervor. However, rest assured that amid the chaos there are three things that guide my life and keep me feeling that it will all work out somehow, someway, and they are: 1) My heart belongs in its totality to God; 2) My family always comes first; and 3) I have the best friends anyone could ask for on this side of Heaven. No matter what 2015 holds in store, as long as I have those three things and even if my life feels untethered (and that is exactly how it has felt this year) and even though I have some very big decisions I need to make in 2015 (hard ones), I will always feel that the world is worth fighting to make a much better place. Which is exactly what I intend to do in 2015...Lord willing. Thank you for being here for the ride. Happy New Year. May it be full of good health and special moments for all the ones we love (which will then bring us joy).
Posted on: Thu, 01 Jan 2015 04:47:16 +0000