xtcian

Worst- Gratuitous Brain Surgery for dizziness in 03 and aforementioned dizziness that has not ever for one second gone away to this day and despite tests out the wazoo remains unexplained.

Best-Marrying James, having Ben and coaching at the Special Olympics World Games in Ireland.

1. My divorce.
2. My divorce.

I could not be happier than I am with my life right now, but I could not have imagined a decade ago that it would look the way it does. I would not have been able to make the necessary, humbling changes in myself to cultivate it without going through those long, bad years.

1) Three-way tie between the shock and utter horror of 9/11, worrying about two sons with ADHD and their school peccadilloes, and acute stress when husband was out of work for 2 years and we almost lost the house. (part 2 of this item -- the sons' progress or not -- to be continued...)

2) Recovering enough from decades of agoraphobia and panic disorder that in 2005 I could travel cross-country to attend a Star Wars convention with women I'd never met FTF before and have the time of my life for a week; and being able to drive on highways again (the freedom! the possibilities!).

PS: Also under the first category: Dealing with my father's rapid descent into dementia following my mom's death (emergency rooms, neurological tests, exploratory surgery -- like Salem's Little Sister's above probably totally unnecessary and a nightmare for my dad), assisted living dementia units, psych hospital, nursing home, pneumonia...), and then his death in 2002.

"I'm an orphan!" I cried in genuine self-pity.

1. Losing relatives -- Cooper & Aunt Idonna.
2. My children's successes in life.

I'm like Tammy O. - the best and worst thing to happen to me this decade are actually the same thing (not divorced, a different thing).

Funny how that happens sometimes.

1) Working for a maniacal delusional mean-as-shit manipulative asshole for seven years. Never again, for any amount of money.

2) Lucy and Barnaby

1. My sister's diagnosis (at age 34) and death from breast cancer (at age 37) in 2007. She was my best friend and the loss is still evident every day and painful. The subsequent mammogram recommendations this year sent me into a rage.

2. The birth of my three children in '00, '01 and '04 is unmatched. I will add that the start of our business in 2008, although stressful, has been amazingly successful despite the economy. And, the man I thought I married has returned - happier and more content.

1. The onset of my husband's chronic illness in 2005. It impacts me and my family on a daily basis, and I still wish life could go back "to the way it was."

2. My kids - born in 2002 and 2004, without a shadow of a doubt.

Worst: The year & change utterly wasted grieving & pining for an unworthy man who dumped me.

Best: Finding the hoop and experiencing the unbelievable growth, change, & healing therein.

I have to pick just one? Can't do it.

1. This decade, I lost both my parents, my wife almost died, I became crushed under medical bills, and my only child was born with a chromosome deletion which will require her to have special care all her life. In fact, she was born two months earlier than your Lucy. In fact, every lulubeans post breaks my heart, as I compare her progress with that of Suzannah, so close to her in age, who needs a walker and can't speak more than one word at a time, as she approaches age five.

Plus, I had George Bush as President, but I gusee we were all in the same boat on that one.

2. On the other hand, I got married, and my wife didn't die, and I got out from under the medical bills over the course of a (blessedly over) year and a half. My child, with all her issues, is the pride and joy of my life, who squeals with delight when she sees me coming home. The home we bought this decade, which is the one I intend to grow old in with my family. I own my own business and answer to no boss but the government. My music became popular enough among my extended tribe of nerds that I was invited to be guest of honor at two conventions. And, over the course of the decade, I watched Oregon evolve from swing state status into a rock solid liberal anchor, with Democrats occupying every statewide office and large majorities in both houses of the legislature. If the Federal Government continues to disappoint us, my state government will fill the void.

Worst- losing my mom. Best- the birth of my grandaughter 3 weeks ago - named after my mom who would just love her so much - not to mention how much fun she would have calling me grandma!

Worst: we had a lot of death and illness this decade. Lost two beloved grandparents and my mother-in-law. Almost lost my own parents to breast cancer (Mom) and an abdominal aortic aneurysm (Dad). And, recently lost my beagle, which was really depressing for me. My heart literally aches when I think about that little guy!

Best: my little family has continued to thrive, and for that I am grateful.

Before I looked at the comments I had already formed my answer, and it was basically the same as the one given by my lovely roommate/writing partner/hot tamale/etc.

1) Breaking up with my girlfriend of 10 years, resulting in a move back to Hickory, NC from Oxford, UK, and having to completely throw away the written-in-crayon Ehren Lifeplan v1.0, with no idea what my future might hold.

2) Having to take stock of myself and my prospects in my adolescent bedroom in my late 20s and realize that I had a blank slate and complete control of my destiny.

The two sides of this coin were a major transition in my life, and I think mark where I truly became an adult.

Worst: death (very sudden) of my dad
Best: got married in 2005

Best - Winning 12 majors.

Worst - Getting hit over the head with a 3-iron by my wife.

Best - quitting drinking
Worst - having to quit drinking

Wow. Piglet, we should talk sometime. your Suzannah and my Meg sound very similar. I know both the heartache of comparing and the joy of the happy squeals.
Don't feel like going into my decade. Just want to look forward not back..

My best & worst happened on the same day in 2006.
Best: Marrying my wonderful husband.
Worst: Miscarriage during our wedding ceremony.

Ah, Ehren, life decisions forged in Hickory. Cheers to that. Ditto for me.

Worst: back to back 2nd trimester miscarriages (at 13 & 17 wks) suffered in 2007-08, and subsequent deterioration of my marriage

Best: births of my living children in '03 and '04, and the fact that 2009 has seen major marital improvements. Also, finally finding a job (surprisingly, as a LAUSD kindergarten aide) that I love--I would not have gone back to work if those babies hadn't died, so silver lining there.

Worst: Developing illness after birth of second child.

Best: Happy family with two great kids! The health problems largely resolved and in the process I learned so much about how to stay healthy and developed habits and interests that should keep me better off than I would have been had I never become ill.

Worst: Learning my sons are autistic.

Best: Remarrying my ex-husband. Really.

Worst: Cancer diagnosis.

Best: My son, born in 2002.

On to the 20-teen's!

Worst: Cancer diagnosis.

Best: My son, born in 2002.

On to the 20-teen's!

Worst: Losing my mom (2006) and my grandmother (2004) and having two miscarriages (2001 and 2002)

Best: My two children, born in 2004 and 2006

Worst: the death of my second son in 2005.

Best: My two other boys! Also- I have been taking a medicine called Soriatane to battle my lifelong affliction- psoriasis. Can't drink anymore- but the quality of my life is infinitely better.

Worst: Picking the world's most unfaithful women, or rather being picked by them.

Best: Victoria, McColl, Lillie-Anne.

Re-write:
Worst: Not living up to the expectations of the world's most unfaithful women.

Best: Victoria, McColl, Lillie-Anne.

Salem - I think you are awesome. The unfaithful women are nuts.

LFMD- I agree and yes, they are nuts. I'm devising a screening test right now for any potential sister-in-laws.

worst: spending years in relationships that ate at my soul. finding out my niece is autistic. going through unemployment.

best: realizing many of my artistic goals, professional and otherwise.

Worst would be going throught IVF five times in two states (NJ -2 and NC - 3), which included one miscarriage and nearly dying from the first IVF going horribly, horribly awry. We honestly didn't think I was even going to be able to carry children let alone conceive them.

Best were the pregnancies and births of my sons in 2005 and 2008. :-)

Worst - The misery of working as a cog in a huge law firm for five years. This year a lawyer at my old firm who had just been laid off walked into his office and took his life, and I know what drove him there. For me, it was that kind of place.

Best - Got married in 2001 and we welcomed two preciouspants daughters in 2003 and 2008. These three new women in my life are a wonder and a joy in every way. Plus, I got an in-house counsel job with a great non-profit hospital system and now I really love what I do.

Worst: Losing my mom at 22 and subsequently losing my way even more than I already had.

Best: Moving to NYC and finding my way again. Getting engaged this year as a result of being a real, productive, loving person again. I am so, so grateful.

Worst: Working 24-7 for the decade to pull off a project with passion while necessarily maneuvering through a giant web of overlapping bureaucracies filled with well meaning people who are the epitome of desk and chair bureaucrats.

Best: Finishing the project with critical loving family support and remaining cordial with almost all of the desk and chair types and anticipating a fresh new start working at home again in 2010.

Best: my surprise and joy over achieving so many of my professional goals and dreams and finding a career that uses (and challenges) my brain and my heart. The multiple ways I feel creatively inspired in this work. Getting recognition for my good work.

Worst: each and every heartbreak. Pouring time and energy into giving unconditional love to a couple of folks who were especially undeserving of such devotion.

Worst: moving to Chicago followed by a cancer diagnosis that started with "we caught it very early" and ended with a stage 3 diagnosis and chemo and radiation.

Best: the births of my two boys aged 7 and 4; ending the decade 3 years cancer-free.

Best: Getting married to my wife

Worst: Moving away from home

Actually I'm too tired to remember dates...by far the worst thing to happen to me in the aughts was my brother's death in February 2001

Worst: When, after being declared cancer-free following a stem cell transplant, my father's lymphoma returned and stopped responding to treatments. That will forever be contrasted against the previous Thanksgiving, just two weeks after said declaration, which easily ranks in the top five best moments.

Best: Top three are easy: my wedding and the birth of my two girls.