Here's To Hope for 2011 and beyond...

by Joanna D'Angelo

I for one am happy to say so long to 2010 and good riddance to the entire past decade...

Too much pain and sorrow.

Too much evil and brutality.

Too much selfishness and ignorance.

Too much illness and death.

Watching loved ones suffer and feeling utterly powerless to help them.

Seeing dear friends go through bitter and painful break-ups.

I know that life is full of joy and sadness - good and bad - light and dark -and certainly the happy times are that much more poignant and beautiful because we understand how fleeting these moments can be - but I'm ready for some sunshine.

So ready.

Everyone I know and love has gone through some sort of shit storm in the past few years.  Sometimes you wonder if you're ever going to feel normal again.  Or wondering how to face whatever your "new normal" is and trying to live with that.

Which is why I'm sending out hope for 2011 and beyond.

Hope that everyone I care about will have the strength to get through whatever life throws their way.

Because hoping for ten years of peace, love and grooviness won't cut it.

It just won't happen.

But I hope for your strength.

I hope for my own strength.

I hope for all of us.

xo
jojo

P.S. I want to thank all of the wonderful contributors to this blog - both past and present and guest bloggers too - you have all made - and continue to make - this little corner of the online universe - a pretty amazing place to hang out. :D