2007

I wish I had something more like a retrospective to write about today. You know, one of those things where I could cover the happenings of the last year with some quotes, a few pictures, and some nice words to roll the last 360-some-odd days into a nice compact essay. Unfortunately, my memory isn't that good, and I don't have pictures to cover all that has happened in the last 12 months.

So what can I say about all things Hernandez in 2007?

I can say that we've had a roller coaster ride, and sometimes things have just been mundane and vanilla.

There have been things that have made some of us question our own mortality and the value we place on life-- and on living. We have had additions to the family, and one great subtraction. External forces have brought many of us closer, and changed minds on what we do for family and the significance of family in our lives. And, for some of us, we have exposed our vulnerable selves to everyone, daring anyone to take a shot at our true inner selves.

Without a doubt, 2007 has been a year of significance for our family, as a whole. Every year in a family as large as ours is guaranteed to give rise to conflict and resolution, to new beginnings and an end to old things. Significance isn't measured objectively. Nor should it be. What is highly important to one may not be important to another, but this in no way diminishes the impact of a person or an event on any individual. What I see in passing may be your crowning achievement, and the least anyone could do is to acknowledge how much that moment means to you.

Which is another reason why I have difficulty limiting this post to a few things that resonated with everyone. In truth, there are over 100 of us from Gramma Connie on down the line. To say that some events meant more to the family than others is unfair to everyone. In fact, each of you did something this past year that was great, said something powerful, lived a day more memorable than any other. That such things may have occurred purely within the confines of your own existence is irrelevant. What is important to each of us must be acknowledged by the rest of us-- if it matters to you, than it matters to me, if for no other reason than we are family.

So I hope you'll forgive me for not listing funny moments, important events, best pictures and notable days of 2007. Rather than highlight some of what was important to some of us, I'd rather tip my hat to each one of us, to say that every one mattered most. Everyone is somebody, everyone is significant, every day of this year was a day to remember.

So give yourselves, and each other, a round of applause for helping make 2007 a year to remember.


Now, if you please, I'm sure we could all agree to the meaning behind the video below. A reminder to all of us to make sure we cherish every day, every moment, and remind those around us how much they mean to us.

Ladies and gentlemen, if you'll permit me, here is the song of our year...