A look back at 2010

So I didn't really blog any LAST year, probably won't blog much at all this year either. I've lost that lovin' feeling I guess....but every now and then I'll get a comment on here like from a recent one where a REALLY sweet lady was asking about Lucy and telling me how she remembers her sweet story and STILL thinks about her all these years after she was featured on Daily Puppy and Cute Overload...FOR REAL?! That is so frickin' sweet. I'm still constantly amazed at how awesome complete strangers can be sometimes---esp. compared to some of the people that are sort of like supposed to care a little more about things than they do sometimes. Overall I just really think people are super-duper selfish/self-involved. I think that Bean and I go out of our way A TON for people---and this year it seemed magnified a ton more some of the things we would do for people because we barely give it a second thought----it's sometimes just the thing to do---but I'm not going to lie---it gets a little exhausting when you're the one always giving, and giving and you notice that very often most people are fine with all that receiving and don't think twice about throwing a bone your way every now and then.

I can think of about one or two people who really felt THERE for us in 2010 when stupid, bad, ridiculous crap was happening. Who I really feel like whether things were good or bad, reciprocated and was always making sure we were OK. It just makes you think.

Sure not all of 2010 was bad....but looking back at the only blog posts I had here from 2010 I remember how it started off badly--everything was sucking basically and here I went into it with a lot of hope--I was seriously stoked for 2010...not sure why now though---it's crazy how just because the calendar rolls back around to 2010 people find some new-found hope like all is right with the world and everything they've wanted to accomplish and everything they want to be is POOF going to happen because it's January. Whatever. Yeah so it started off crappy and had some pretty low downs towards the end---losing Nikki and all. Not only did Nikki get diagnosed with cancer and then lose that battle---but a close friend of ours lost their first sweet baby dog to cancer and had a rough time this year and a co-worker friend's dog unexpectedly died on the operating table just during a routine teeth cleaning...a teeth cleaning. He was young and healthy and though they have a child, that little guy was totally their baby too. Then the year gets finished off with Bean's nephew and his wife having to put down their dog with cancer. I know these four-legged cuties are JUST dogs, just creatures to some people...but they weren't just that to all of us. Sometimes people with two-legged children just don't get it....sometimes they do.

They say that a lot---you'll hear---"She doesn't have kids--she doesn't get how busy I am." "People without kids don't see how much we have to do when we have kids." But people with dog children can say the same...they don't get it either. One person got it and let us know what happened actually does matter in our lives but that is also the same person that understood how thoughtful and awesome it would be to give us a small gift when Brinkley came home as a pup--someone who gets it--and realizes that HEY they do birthday parties, baby showers, wedding showers, etc...year after year after year never asking for anything in return--let's throw a little surprise kindness their way. Kindness and compassion are amazing things. They change everything.

I don't care what people say---indeed it is fine and dandy to always give, give, give your time, your efforts, your kindnesses with never receiving anything in return---yes that is great and all---BUT over the years you get tired. And if you can't be thrown a little spark of random niceness and have someone help you with your crap every now and then, you just become over it. Maybe someone reading this is so perfect that they don't become over it...super for you! I wish we could be you. But I think if people look deep down---that the people that they have the warmest fuzzies for are the ones who know how to throw them some kindness and compassion more often than not...and if you're the one always receiving that---why don't you do a little something for that person every now and then. I'm telling you, it'll make you both feel awesome and the quickest way to have someone be done with you is to always let them do every single bit of the work...because a new year might roll around and their asses might just be super tired.

Here's the 2010 video--last year's was a blast and I just couldn't not do one this year. 2010 really did have some seriously fun stuff that happened. A lot of firsts...first time in Key West, first time para-sailing or doing something that I found even remotely that scary, first time driving a little electric car, first time in Savannah, first time in Navarre and Pensacola, saw a few of the most gorgeous sunsets ever, longest time being away from home and the furthest I've ever been. The first time I've ever watched someone become sick and die that I had been responsible for/loved since her birth. The good things were really great and the bad times were really bad. Therefore as a whole, I don't know how I feel about 2010.