2016 has come and gone and like all years there were some very positive things that happened and some really negative things.

Personally, it was a tough year because of the death of my younger sister back in February.  Lisa was my only sibling and as hard as it was for me I know it was so much harder on my Mom.  Children are supposed to bury parents and it is really difficult when that natural order is disrupted.  My sister’s husband also lost a brother and his mother fell into ill health.  He described 2016 as a “cruel year”.  I can see that.

However, in many ways, 2016 was a great year.  I enjoyed a lot of success in my job.  I put together and took many fun trips.  I do some substitute preaching and I got by far more invitations than I have ever had in the past.  My wife and I welcomed our first grandson into the world and he had the good sense to be born on his mother’s birthday, so that is one less date to try and remember.

From my perspective, I think a Hillary Clinton administration would have been a train wreck and I am excited to see what this great experiment of having a political novice in the White House will mean.

And lastly (and least), having grown up in the Chicago area, I am so happy for Cub fans.  The curse of the Billy Goat has been broken and for those fans 2016 was literally a once in a lifetime year.