Good Riddance to 2012

By kate on December 31st, 2012

2012 was a strange year. In the pedestrian scale of my own life, things went pretty well. My job, health, and relationships have all been good. But a lot of hardship and tragedy befell my friends, and at the end of the year that’s what stays with me.

This year, four friends were killed in two sudden, shocking events. First Drew and Joe were lost in the Cafe Racer shootings. Only a few months later, Lee and Judy, off on a childfree anniversary adventure in Peru, died in a car accident. All four people were inspirational to me in some way already, but seeing the outpouring of tributes to each gave me an overwhelming sense of the impact one person can have on the people around them.

2012 was also the first year that cancer hit close to home, striking three friends in my own generation. I’ve been anxiously watching updates on email and Facebook, unable to do very much, hoping with all my heart that the limited scope of current human technology is enough. So far, the news has been cautiously good and my friends all continue to fight. They’re never far from my thoughts – my most fervent best wishes to Molly, Chris, and a third friend who’s not public with it all yet.

Is this just what it’s like to get older? To have illness and death sidle closer and closer to you, capriciously choosing one friend after another until it’s your turn? I knew that would eventually be the case, but it seems too soon. I’m not even 40 yet!

So, with the turn of the new year, I’m going to optimistically say that I hope 2012 was just a dark year, and that 2013 will mean good things for not just me, but everyone I care about. Happy New Year!

UPDATE 1/20/14:

One of my friends lost her battle with cancer in December, leaving three kids, a husband, and community of friends and colleagues bereft. On the good side, my other two friends mentioned above are in remission and recovering well.