See Ya, 2016...But Thank You!

The general consensus of the 366 days that made up the year 2016 (it was a leap year folks) was similar to the feeling of getting hit by a bus then getting dragged along the street for about two miles. Good analogy? Well I'm tired off all those analogies.

It was tough year no doubt about that. We lost a lot of big, powerful names from world of entertainment, sports and politics as well as some tough personal losses. David Bowie, Prince, Mohammed Ali, Janet Reno, Craig Sager, Carrie Fisher, our favorite TV mom and dad, Mrs. Brady (Florence Henderson) and Dr. Jason Seaver (Alan Thicke) as well as many others.

Throughout the whole year campaign ads were shoved down our throats. The presidential debates were atrocious to watch and we all begged for the election to be over. And when it was, we, as a nation, were in a state of shock.

It was a weird year - heck the Chicago Cubs are World Series Champions! How's that for being the apocalypse. But was 2016 really as terrible as some may lead us to believe? Or was it a year to teach us something? How to be strong. How to be resilient - you get back up when you get knocked down. In times of struggle you have to remember to persevere and push through no matter how muddy the waters get because you will come out cleaner and stronger on the other side.

Maybe it was simply to make us remember who we really are and that you can't try to be someone you're not. Just like the Jason Aldean song I Use What I Got and "Passed every 'no' after 'no' after 'no' till I get a 'yes'...I don't worry about what I'm not, I use what I got."Keep moving forward until you get what you want. It's about the process and the journey, not the destination.

Everyone that we lost in 2016 was lived by that motto. They were themselves. They were vibrant, lively people. Just look at the late-NBA sideline reporter, Craig Sager who was best known for his vibrant and colorful suits as well as the role he played as Gregg Popovich's adversary in sideline interviews. That was him. It wasn't an act.

2016 was a year that was given to us on purpose. It was given to as a test of our resiliency. To make sure we bounced back up after we hit the ground. To quote Dude Perfect's Tyler Toney, "remember in life it's always better to be a bouncy ball than a hacky-sack." It pushed us to the edge of the cliff but not as much to make us fall. It challenged us in ways we didn't want or expect to be challenged. But we will come out victorious in 2017.

I'll end with with a quote from one of the smartest, strongest and toughest guys I know and something each and every one of you can take into the new year:

"Today is a good day to have a good day!" - Dan Horwitz