A New Year's Exercise

Columnist Sharon Randall suggests answering the following questions about 2007 before forging onto 2008.


1. What was the hardest thing you had to do?

Balance role demands - work, wife, grandmother, writer, individual with needs

2. What was the most fun?

Holiday gatherings - which was a surprise because that isn't usually so. The very best was moving the furniture out of the way and everybody dancing on Rosh Hoshannah.

3. What were the milestones?

Bob continuing to teach in Corpus. At this point I think that will continue until he retires. Zachary (youngest grand) starting kindergarten, being invited to write a grief article for an anthology.

4. What was your biggest accomplishment?

Some level of balance regarding my multiple roles.

5. What was something you wanted to do but didn't?

Develop healthier eating patterns.

6. What was your biggest surprise?

My daughters' protectiveness and gentleness to me when our family elder Sophie died.

7. What was the meanest thing you did?

Failure to give the benefit of the doubt to various people at various times - feel worst about this with the children. Am improving.

8. What was something you worried about but don't anymore?

Dead tree in the back yard that was a risk to the roof - Friend came over and chopped it down - I'm very grateful.

9. What made you proud?

The way our family works together for our common good.

10. Describe a moment you don't want to forget.

The homework disaster night, when we discovered three days of undone kindergarten homework in Zachary's backpack on a Sunday afternoon and, once I got done being angry, K.K and Danny pitched in to help me help him get it done, and we did. There was a really connected feeling of doing something hard together that night.