Facing a new year

As the sun sets on what would otherwise be another passing Tuesday afternoon, I take stock of the past year and prepare to usher in my second day of being 29. Though I have yet to greet that unyielding inevitability that is 30, it's funny to note that already my birthdays have become surprisingly insignificant to me. I acknowledge the many gracious pronouncements of cheer from my friends and family, but inside I feel as though it's just another fading sunset. I imagine that, eventually, I will reach an age where I will welcome and cherish each day of my dwindling youth, as a musician may desperately hang on the final notes of a sad song, but until then I am still convinced of my eternal and unburdened 20s.

It was an incredible year, and I changed my life in many fundamental ways. I laughed a little longer. I worked a little harder. I cherished my friends and family, spilled a little blood, shed some tears, and ultimately I gained the confidence to be the man I always hoped to be. I gave a little, and I took a little, and I always remembered to love.

I let go when it seemed impossible, and I faced some demons when they were most irascible. Some remain, tickling at my subconscious with unrelenting ferociousness. I will battle on, with the new weapons of wisdom that derive with age. Most of all, I will never surrender to fear.

So let's see what 29 has to offer. I'll let my willingness to explore light the way to these vast new adventures.