Happy New Year

I really wanted to be on-the-ball and post this on January 1, but alas, life got in the way. I hope everyone had an enjoyable New Year celebration and took time to reflect on 2009. This year was probably the most difficult year for me personally, but it was also a time of great growth because with struggle comes strength and understanding. I am looking forward to 2010 and have high hopes for good things to come. I don't want to do a recap of the year, as I am seeing them everywhere and feel that by now we should all have a good idea of what happened in 2009. In a nutshell, too many deaths.

Last night I watched Revolutionary Road with Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. I know that this movie received some great awards and recognition, but the movie based on the 1961 novel by Richard Yates, was depressing. I could go into further detail, recapping the poignant moments, the larger themes of being trapped by societal pressures and the strong acting, but really, it was just depressing. I can completely appreciate the need for deep, meaningful, often heart-wrenching movies to help us reevaluate our lives, understand more complex worlds and appreciate how far we have come, but sometimes depressing is just depressing. I have not read the book but have heard it is much stronger than the movie. So if I were you, check out the book first.

Yesterday I spent the day babysitting my seven-year old niece and we baked a cake with her Easy Bake oven (a Christmas present from Santa). I felt like I was having a flashback to my own childhood, as I completely remember the wonder and amazement that came from actually baking my own cake! I felt cynical when I began internally criticizing the makers of the Easy Bake oven for using a light bulb to cook a cake...and not well, I might add. But then I looked at that joy on my niece's face as she pulled the dried out, yellow "cake" from the oven. She was so proud of her accomplishment and wanted everyone to try a piece. Isn't that what life is all about? Those little moments of excitement? Hopefully 2010 will bring more Easy Bake oven moments...and take us down fewer Revolutionary Roads.