Falling in love taught me more than any teacher could even begin to teach and staring out the window a smile crossed my lips. Knowing in one year I went from tears to a smile, feels remarkable. I know now that 2009 was the best year of my life. It was a year of heartache, tears, and sadness. It was a year of change, moving on and standing tall. Most of all it was a year of love, happiness, and freedom. I now see that surviving it all and making a change set me up to be right here. Just keeping myself open and not giving up gave me a complete 180. Standing still in fear didnt do this, changing myself did. It is a lesson I hope you all take to heart as this new year begins. No matter how bad it gets, you control the outcome.