2009--the good, the bad, and the ugly

Where to start? I think I'll go in reverse order:

The Ugly:

~I will remember 2009 in large part by the truly abominable behavior I experienced from some colleagues, primarily my former boss. As I've reflected over it the last few months, I still find myself not quite believing how reprehensible some of it was, and how completely unnecessary. But if nothing else, I learned a lot about how NOT to interact with people, how NOT to manage staff, and about how I react under stress--both positively and negatively.

The Bad:

~Job stress. Lots of it, much remaining unbloggable. Really, it's remarkable how much that defined my life for the first two-thirds of the year (and see the Ugly, above). While things had been stressful for much of my tenure there, I couldn't have foreseen how hard the last year there would turn out to be.

~Moving stress--no matter if the move is positive, packing and moving is HARD physically and psychologically. I've done it many times, and I know how to get it done efficiently, but it never gets easier.

The Good:

~Family--Baby J thrives, and I was privileged to baptize her at the Easter Vigil. WW got married, and Mr. WW arrived from Nepal in time for Baby M's birth. The Kid graduated from high school, and survived his first semester of college. I got used to living alone.We had a wonderful Thanksgiving together in my great new house, and celebrated Christmas together in VT.

~Friends--took care of me in so many ways when I was totally stressed out, and rejoiced with me when things turned around. I discovered deep wells of caring and concern and generosity of spirit, sometimes from completely unexpected places. And I reconnected with some old friends via FB.

~Colleagues--rallied around me when I needed them. My clergy coach and his wife went above and beyond the call of duty to support and encourage me. I don't know where I'd be without them.

~A wonderful new parish--my new church has been warm and welcoming and seems truly happy to have me here. There are many challenges to face here, and I know the honeymoon will not last forever, but it is so nice to start out positively. I am so happy to be here, and I feel really lucky and blessed that I ended up in a good place.

And that's 2009 in a nutshell.