2017 has been a divisive year: everyone I know has either loved or hated it. I did not love it. It has had so many—maybe too many—growing pains. My personal career pursuits have become clearer, but for most of the year they've been unsteady. Following the news has been stressful. Watching people go at each other's throats, cut each other down, and advocate hate has been disheartening. But as I stood before my 2017 Gratitude Calendar this morning, coffee in-hand, head tilted to the side, reviewing every single day that this Earth tripped around the Sun, I saw something emerge beneath the overwhelm: love, focus, and hope. 

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