About love -- farewell to the year

Congratulations! We've made it to the final month — December.

It should, just like any other finished line, provide us with a fresh start to look forward to.

I don't know what the future brings but the past taught me something -- I love being alive!

Call it cheesy but this is what matters the most to me. Living my life in joy for simply being alive is a gift. And happiness comes when you learn to appreciate this gift like no other.

While the same old question of 'what next?' or 'how much longer?' lingers in your head like some kind of a movie caption, you might want to consider that life is not about how long it lasts but what we make of it while we're alive.

My own 'what next?' feels way more pressing than any other question. Yet there's something so delicious about knowing you're going to live until you die and not letting it get you down.

One of the greatest presents I've ever got was a quote written on an old postcard -

“Breathe. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure. ”― Oprah Winfrey

It's been there beside my bedside table for almost a decade. In times of struggle or a deep loss, I turn to it...

It is in these moments I am saying to myself, 'I'm okay. It will get better. This is my life to live - so let's do this!'

I know it doesn't sound like the most insightful thing ever but think about it for a minute and you'll realize that everything will be alright in the end, even if it's not always alright right now.

What's important is being yourself. In the end, everything does work out in this world. How? I'm not sure. It's a mystery.

This past year has been quite the journey for most of us. A lot of it bursting with darkness and pain like a never-ending nightmare, but there have also been true moments to thrill in happiness and cause us hope!

We've celebrated love in so many forms — the love we have and feel for our loved ones and the love we get back from them.

I've managed to experience this joy on levels I never thought possible. The best part? Seeing it happen all around me, to people I love and know.

Happiness is like an ocean wave that surrounds us in life and we all ride it together in the direction we're meant to go, which for most of us, is forward.

I think we can all agree this year has been quite the rollercoaster! Life seems unpredictable and chaotic sometimes like bad weather. That's why it is best to take things in stride and learn to appreciate small fortunes.

While we are living, life exists in every dimension — past, present, and future. As long as we have love in our hearts and can see the beauty in each other, there is nothing more to ask for...

We should keep on living with no fear of what could happen because whatever it is, we can get through it together.

Never let go of whatever brought you to your feet and keep your loved ones close by. Love and kindness always will come back in one form or another.

Don't fear loving; act as a warm fire on the bleakest of December nights.