It's time to fill up another blank slate that we've been handed on this New Year's Day 2018. And so like I did with the year that past, I shall use the Spanish custom of consuming 12 grapes for the New Year's occasion to reflect on what I'm anticipating for 2018.
Grape #1, the Bicentennial of Illinois: This occasion will be a great opportunity to celebrate the state of Illinois and the great aspects it entails, and even participating in festivities.
Grape #2, the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang: I'm really looking forward to see the world come together for spirited competition, and to see the show put on by South Koreans.
Grape #3, milestone birthdays in the family: From what I can tell, there are 4 of them happening this year in my family.
Grape #4, Greg and Melissa's 10-year anniversary: The first wedding I ever attended was for my cousin Greg and his wife Melissa, and the joyful occasion left an indelible impression on me. I will mark their special occasion with great joy.
Grape #5, Dan and Ann Ruggaber's Golden Wedding Anniversary: Dan and Ann have been a very special part of my life, and that's why I will joyfully mark the occasion.
Grape #6, the 5-year anniversary of my graduation from Valparaiso University: It will be a good opportunity to reflect on the great impact those 4 years in my life had, and to mark 5 years for this blog. There are some other notable 5-year anniversaries I will mark of events that happened during my senior year, like my trips to Austin, TX, and St. Augustine Mission in Nebraska.
Grape #7, Victoria Season 2: I enjoyed watching Season 1 last year, and I look forward to tuning in on Sunday nights, starting in less than 2 weeks, to see the story of Queen Victoria's life unfold some more.
Grape #8, the 2018 election cycle: I look forward to engaging in the democratic process of the republic by casting my vote in the primary and general elections, and preparing my selections for my ballots.
Grape #9, the Centennial of the World War I Armistice: It will be good to reflect on the event that ended World War I as a way of continuing to assess its impact on history, as we have throughout the past few years since the Centennial of that war's start.
Grape #10, continued professional opportunities: I had some significant opportunities for advancement in my career this year, and I hope to have some more meaningful opportunities to come.
Grape #11, the Synod on Young People, the Faith, and Vocational Discernment: I look forward to hearing about what will come out of this synod focusing on empowering young people, as World Youth Day 2019 will come just a couple of months after it.
Grape #12, continued involvement in Religious Education: Greater things happen as I have continued my involvement, things I couldn't have imagined before. Certainly, as an 8th grader in the program myself, I never imagined myself being back to teach, and what an adventure in faith it has been that has so enriched my sense of life.
While I may not know what will happen in life, as I said before, I know by faith that God is real, and so I go forth to take hold of confidence in His presence, that all my experiences this year may be means of knowing His graces more fully.
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