{"id":11624,"date":"2014-12-31T11:15:45","date_gmt":"2014-12-31T03:15:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lifestinymiracles.com\/?p=11624"},"modified":"2015-01-23T21:16:30","modified_gmt":"2015-01-23T13:16:30","slug":"thankful-for-2014","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lifestinymiracles.com\/2014\/12\/thankful-for-2014\/","title":{"rendered":"Giving thanks for 2014…however imperfect it was…"},"content":{"rendered":"

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I wanted to write a ‘Year in Review’ post last night but my heart was still reeling from the news of the Air Asia #QZ8501 tragedy. I grieve with those families who have suffered such painful personal losses – their loved ones snatched away from them in an instant, without any chance to say their last goodbyes. Just weeks ago, we’ve also stood with a couple who buried their baby girl due to SIDS. It breaks my heart to see my Grandma getting frailer and reduced to bones on our weekly visits, knowing time is not on our side…In our fallen world full of terrorist acts, natural disasters, bad news and heartaches, what’s there to give thanks for?<\/p>\n

I took a step back and will myself to number the things I am thankful for in 2014.<\/p>\n

1. This is the year where our daughter spent her last year as a kindergartener – happy, well-adjusted and very loved by all in the school. In 2 days’ time, she will be donning the uniform of the primary school of our choice. We are grateful.<\/p>\n

2. The year where we celebrated our 15th Wedding Anniversary and saved up for a trip to the Big Apple.<\/p>\n

3. The year where we adopted our baby son Alexander.\u00a0 Our years of seeking a sibling for Dana finally come to fruition when God hand-picked AJ for our family. And what an affectionate boy he’s turning out to be.<\/p>\n

Truth to be told, I am not looking forward to the start of the New Year. I am muted, my mood is melancholic….It feels as though my joy and strength have been zapped from the events that unfolded, both in the media and on the home front.\u00a0 Until, I am reminded by this article<\/a> that life is not perfect. We discover this truth early in life and the older we are, the more we see it to be true. In fact, imperfections assault us in nearly every direction:<\/p>\n