www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Thursday, December 25, 2014 | 52 Taking a long gaze into the rearview mirror for 2014 That's A Life t this time of year, there is a tendency toward gazing re ectively in the rearview mirror as pundits and publications tender their annual `year in review' conclusions -- typically, succinct summaries of the best and worst of the past 12 months. Alas, these wrap-ups leave me cold. In analyzing what seems so inherently wrong with these reviews it occurs to me that too many of them focus on the world view of the year that is passing, and far too few focus on what is truly important. That is... me. Everything considered, I'd have to say that 2014 was a good year for your correspondent, albeit as odd a year as any I've ever encountered: interesting, educational, challenging, rewarding, pleasurable and, Andy Juniper Guest Contributor well, painful. It was a year that offered untold opportunities for growth and untold opportunities to be grumpy. Hopefully, for those living with me, I grew more than I was grumpy. You may recall that the beginning of 2014 was preceded by an epic ice storm that left us sans power for seven days through Christmas. Icy upheaval, widespread damage. Hence the soundtrack for the rst four months of this year was the cacophony of chainsaws as downed and destroyed trees were turned into rewood or mulch. I doubt anyone wants to be reminded, but it was a harsh winter, rife with frost quakes (not a cereal, as I rst imagined) and freezing fog (I'm not making this up) all neatly wrapped in a polar vortex. I still have no idea what that is, but I do know if we experience any of the above in 2015, I'm moving to Fiji. It was the severity of winter that prompted my wife and I to revisit Hilton Head, S.C., for the rst time in ve years. Island hospitality got us back to a sunnier mental state. But it was in that coastal paradise that I started to fall apart physically. Once back home, assorted joints seized up and after considerable medical monkeying, it was determined that I had an autoimmune disorder called polymyalgia rheumatica. This led to a sleepless summer (I was lucky to snag three hours a night), ridiculous stiffness, soreness, and a sudden inability to do simple things like tie my shoes, scratch my back, or do a double ip off the diving board. Suf ce to say, this condition humbled me. It forced me to live moment to moment and to do as much in each moment as I was capable of doing, all the while counting my considerable blessings. Blessings? Hey, I did the research and it could have been a whole lot worse. For example: one of the positives of polymyalgia rheumatica is that it's one of the few autoimmune disorders that actually goes away. Anyway, after a three-month nightmare, I slowly started to heal, a process my specialist says will probably take about two years before I return to something resembling normal. Come September, I was thankfully feeling well enough to revel in the nuptials of Matthew, our eldest offspring, and his high school sweetheart, Ashley, in a wonderful ceremony followed by a super celebration. Yeah, 2014 had it all. Ups, downs, highs, lows. Some pleasure, some pain, some poly, and a whole new perspective on life. -- Andy Juniper can be contacted at ajjuniper@gmail.com, found on Facebook or followed on Twitter at www.twitter.com/thesportjesters. For more news, visit oakvillebeaver.com, insidehalton.com from December 27th to 30th ONLY! Saturday, Monday, Tuesday 10-6; Sunday 12-5 30-50% Off FIRE & WATER DAMAGE Commercial and Residential Trained, Uniformed Professionals Complete Move-Outs Restoration Vendor for Insurance Companies Nationwide SERVPRO® of Milton & North Oakville Forever Summer Swimsuits & Beachwear 905-864-9544 Independently Owned and Operated 24 Hour Emergency Service. 389 Brant Street, Unit 4, Burlington 905.333.8300 Like it never even happened.® Because family matters Let us take care of you Oakview Funeral Home has been serving the Oakville community for over 30 years. We are proud community supporters and will assist your family in creating a highly personalized service to suit your taste and budget. Oakview Funeral Home serves one family at a time and offers competitive prices and superior service. Get your FREE Planning Kit! Call Dawn Spencer today: 905-842-2252 From concept to completion... Look for us on Facebook Visit www.oakviewfuneral.ca for a virtual tour of our funeral home. www.prov-stateconstruction.ca · 905.257.4211 Together we create beautiful spaces! by Arbor Memorial 56 Lakeshore Road, W., Oakville Arbor Memorial Inc. Oakview Funeral Home Family Owned. Proudly Canadian.