Good riddance to one hideous year. 2017 was the year Donald Trump became the
45th president of the United States adding fuel to the flames of
misogyny, racism, homophobia and a whole host of other prejudices,
glorying in his ignorance and outrageous idiocy.
2017 was the year my dad was diagnosed with cancer and my mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. 2017 was the year I spent Halloween in the local ER (and several days in different hospitals and doctor’s offices after that) with my husband as they investigated an alarming incident he’d suffered. 2017 was the year I was diagnosed with Alopecia Areata after suddenly noticing a whopping bald patch four inches wide and which extended from nearly the tip of my ear down.
2017 was a year in which I continued to struggle with health issues that emerged four years earlier and which have many strange and not so wonderful symptoms. 2017 was also the year that I was extremely grateful to receive a Canada Council grant for a speculative YA novel I hope to finish soon. It was the year my first middle grade novel came out and the year that I decided to release the book of my heart after beginning a first draft of it eighteen years earlier.
Not everything about 2017 was darkness. Looking back hopefully we will recognize it as the year our society turned the corner on racism and sexism and collectively pledged to do better (and kept that promise and resolve!), led by brave women and men who refused to let the unjust status quo stand any longer. Yes, there were some fantastic bright spots to 2018 but all in all, personally I won’t miss it. I’m looking to the future with hope. Wishing you all a healthy, happy, hopeful 2018!
2017 was the year my dad was diagnosed with cancer and my mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. 2017 was the year I spent Halloween in the local ER (and several days in different hospitals and doctor’s offices after that) with my husband as they investigated an alarming incident he’d suffered. 2017 was the year I was diagnosed with Alopecia Areata after suddenly noticing a whopping bald patch four inches wide and which extended from nearly the tip of my ear down.
2017 was a year in which I continued to struggle with health issues that emerged four years earlier and which have many strange and not so wonderful symptoms. 2017 was also the year that I was extremely grateful to receive a Canada Council grant for a speculative YA novel I hope to finish soon. It was the year my first middle grade novel came out and the year that I decided to release the book of my heart after beginning a first draft of it eighteen years earlier.
Not everything about 2017 was darkness. Looking back hopefully we will recognize it as the year our society turned the corner on racism and sexism and collectively pledged to do better (and kept that promise and resolve!), led by brave women and men who refused to let the unjust status quo stand any longer. Yes, there were some fantastic bright spots to 2018 but all in all, personally I won’t miss it. I’m looking to the future with hope. Wishing you all a healthy, happy, hopeful 2018!
