When I started thinking about how to frame this last post of my “year”, all I could hear in my head was this song from RENT.  I’ve never seen the movie or play; I just am always so moved by this particular song.  The hair on my arms and the back of my neck practically stand at attention, I am so moved–every time!

For all but two days of the past year I’ve spent a part of my day either writing or thinking about writing or posting something to this blog. It’s been  challenging, interesting, and gratifying way to mark a year of my life.  I’ve hoped that in some way it’s helped or inspired a reader, especially the people I don’t know who’ve read these posts.

Here are a few interesting bits about the last year I can use as a measure of the impact of this blog:

360 Followers (that’s almost one for every day)

377 Total Posts (I liked doing the weekly photo challenges!)

19,846 Views (as of today at 12:00 noon)

863 Total Comments made on my posts (okay more than a few are from my Mom, but she’s my mom!)

All-Time Best Day 600 Views, the post:  Boys Will Be Boys Is Unacceptable.  (It’s one that raised some awareness about a very sad and personal story of the daughter of a college classmate.)

What I enjoyed most:  Writing about my family and posting pictures that are meaningful to me and to them.

Biggest surprise:  When I wrote about my grandson’s third grade teacher I knew she probably would never see it, but of course that was never the point of this blog.  Surprisingly, last Christmas I got a lovely greeting card from her thanking me for the blog.

Continued hope:  That everyone who’s stopped by and read at least one of my posts will have found something to be grateful for, daily, in their own lives.

To everyone who has stopped by over the last 525,600 minutes: Thank you, and I hope you keep reading and keep saying thank you to anyone who contributes to who you are…I will!