I wrote this post just before the New Year and realized it never published. Material is slightly dated but it has some good content so why not catch up now…
Dear 2010,
You were quite a ride for the Cusenbary household…and I do not mean to be rude, but you will not be missed. Don’t get me wrong – there were plenty of highlights…but we are REALLY looking forward to a NEW YEAR, fresh start, new beginning…you get the point.
As I mentioned there were plenty of highlights in 2010:
- Introducing Lance Armstrong at the Ride 4 Yellow event
- Hunting mountain lions hunt with great friends at WMR and hogs in Texas
- A sell-out year for the Tour de Steamboat
- The addition of a new family member, Miss Emily (Brad’s mistress – a.k.a. horse)
- A new job for Laura at Wells Fargo Investments
- A trip to the beach with family
- Olympic victories for Steamboat athletes
And many more festivities that I am spacing…
But there were also some challenges:
- 2 hospital stays
- Crappy chemo treatments
- 1 brain surgery
- A speech impairment
- An ACL surgery for our dog Dugan
I will say that the challenges were (and continue to be) tackled one day at a time. It would be easy to get overwhelmed by our list of to-do’s for Brad’s recovery. But the saying ‘You know how to eat an elephant…one bite at a time’ is a montra for us.
In this cliche time of year, where we all look back and reflect on what took place, and set our goals for the upcoming year, I looked further back than 365 days. I remembered a Derby party where I had my first crush on a Texan. I thought of a camp trip with friends where my boyfriend amazed me with his thoughtfulness and consistent care for others. And then I thought of a wedding – where I was the luckiest girl in the world. I did make my way to 2010 and realized Brad, who is always looking out for those around him; also happens to be the strongest man on the planet. Brad’s courage each and every day coupled with his unwavering spirit are great things to note as we plan 2011 resolutions.
He is happy, grateful and determined to get back on skis, ride his bike, and be himself again. Here’s to 2011 – may it be filled with health, happiness and an abundance of laughter.
