In just a few days, we will be into a brand new year, 2015.  But before we start the new year, I like to take a look back at this year.

It has been a really good year.  I was promoted and finally received a raise at work after 2 and a half years.  It was a wonderful surprise and an unexpected end to my job search that I had started earlier in the year.

I reconnected with two friends who I had not seen in several years.  One friend returned to the United States after living abroad in Africa for several years and it was great to see her again.  My other friend I had just lost touch with and we finally got together again and it was wonderful to see each other.

And I became a published author!  I wrote a blog on LinkedIn about working part-time and it went viral!!  It got several thousand hits and a couple people asked if they could publish my article on their blog!

My 88 year old aunt and my uncle and his wife left the DC area and moved down to Florida.  They seem to be doing well down there, but it feels weird not having them close by.  I don’t know when I will see them again.

Overall, it was a great year and I hope that 2015 will be even better.  Best wishes to all of you for a fabulous new year!

My organization is doing a Suicide Awareness Program today and I felt compelled to talk about this with you all.  While I have never known anyone who committed suicide, I have battled depression and had suicidal thoughts before.

When I was depressed, I felt so bad and was in so much internal pain, that I just wanted to end it all.  I felt like no one understood, no one cared, and that no one loved me.  

I had two major depressive episodes, breakdowns if you will.  The second one I had was quite severe where I didn’t go to work for a whole month.  I finally got professional help and things got better from then on.

My message to you if you are suffering from depression and are contemplating suicide is don’t be afraid to ask for help.  If you commit suicide, you eliminate the possibility of things ever getting better.

I am very happy that I didn’t go through with that plan.  I am much happier today than I ever have been in my life.  I am married, have two great boys, a career, family, friends, etc.  None of that would have happened if I chose to end my life.

There are professionals who can help you.  It took a combination of therapy and medication and time but the depression finally lifted.  

Since then, I do a couple things that help me:  get together with girlfriends at least on a monthly basis, exercise regularly, pray, and listen to music.

Please, if you or someone you know is battling depression, seek some help.  There are qualified people who care and will help you.

I turned 44 on Sunday.  Where has the time gone?

Looking back, I can honestly say it has been a good ride.  I am truly blessed to have a good husband and 2 healthy boys, a house, a stable good paying job (even if I am bored a lot), extended family and friends.  

I feel pretty good.  I am no longer dealing with depression which is a HUGE deal for me.  And I feel pretty healthy...I try to exercise 3 times a week and that has really made a difference.  I am blessed to have no major health issues at this time except my pesky eczema which flares up from time to time and an occasional bout of insomnia.

I truly like myself.  When I was growing up, I didn’t like myself and longed to be someone else.  It took me a long time to like myself and accept myself for who I am.  I know I am not perfect, but then again no one else is.  Everyone has faults.

Maybe it comes with age, but I feel more confident in myself and my abilities.  Just last week, I went up to the client and told him I was interested in a certain position.  The younger me, maybe 5 years ago, would have NEVER have done that.

And I really don’t feel 44.  To me, it’s just a number.  Here’s to many more birthdays....

This past week, there were a couple of graduations in our household.  Jack, my youngest, graduated from kindergarten.  They had a sing a long and later we went to their classroom where they showed the parents the portfolios they have been working on all year.  Jack has come a long way since September.  He didn’t have the cap and gown he had when he graduated from preschool but it was still special.  Both my husband and I attended.

Then my oldest Kyle graduated from 5th grade.  They had lots of awards and then they also sang some songs.  Later they had a pizza party outside.  It’s still hard to believe that my son who it seems just yesterday when we attended HIS kindergarten celebration, is going into middle school this September.

Then it will be high school and he will be driving!  Then will he leave home?  I wonder about that.  My brother still has his almost 25 year old son living with him along with his 19 and 20 year old daughters.  I guess only time will tell.

This is also the only year that Kyle and Jack were in school together.  Now they will be in separate schools until they graduate from high school.

Middle school will be a new experience for both Kyle and me.   I never went to middle school.  My elementary went from Kindergarten through 8th grade and then there was high school.

Time really does fly by.

Today is my first day back from the Social Media fast.  I took a break from this site and Facebook for about a month.  In addition, I gave up my games, to the chagrin of my boys as well.

It went by fast.  I really didn’t miss it all that much to be honest.  I think sometimes it is good to get away from things...to unplug.  

One social media I did not take a break from was LinkedIn.  I am currently job hunting and am hitting up my contacts on there to ask for employee referrals.  They have some pretty good articles on there too.

I didn’t miss the games that much either.  I played a few rounds of Candy Crush this morning.  I don’t think I’m as good as I used to be, but I’m sure with practice, I will get better.

I am glad to be back and hope everyone has been doing well.

Have you ever thought about the Zodiac signs of your current family and the family you grew up with?  Well, I was just thinking about that and discovered that they are almost identical!

I was raised with my mom who was a Taurus and my two brothers who are an Aries and a Sagittarius.  I am a Leo.

Now, in my current family, my two sons are a Leo and a Taurus.  My husband is a Sagittarius.  The only sign missing is an Aries.

Now I don’t go around reading my horoscope every day or even every week.  But just from personal experience, I can tell you that the personality characteristics of certain signs are very similar.

For example, I am very similar to my son who is also a Leo.  We both enjoy video games, like math, and enjoy doing stuff like going to amusement parks.  My other son, like my mother, tends to be very stubborn and can be quite negative unfortunately.

I just thought it was interesting and wanted to share.  How about you guys?  Have you noticed any similarities in personalities among family members and/or friends with the same sign?