2014 was a challenging year. The weather stressed us all out. Every meeting I had was cancelled and rescheduled due to the snow.

In March, I hosted the family Easter dinner at my home.  It was a grand event. I cooked crawfish etouffee in honor of Aunt Tommie. I made her Gumbo again this year. She died from complications of Alzheimer’s just after Easter. We had a beautiful memorial service a few weeks later.

In May, I attended The Society for Teachers of Family Medicine meeting in San Antonio Texas. I was the moderator for the closing session and it was my final year serving on the program committee. Roy and I  drove to Austin and then to Dallas. We spent a few days with his sister and her husband in Irving.

June was a spectacular month. We traveled back to Birmingham for the Second Annual Giddens Family Reunion.     .

Like many of you my  heart has been so heavy after all the events over the summer. I have been posting  updates on the police shootings and protests. All the news coverage on the NFL and domestic violence was upsetting.  The news coverage on the deaths of the  police officers failed to emphasize the fact that the shooter suffered from mental illness.   It points to some upsetting truths about views on African-American males. Mental illness is either misdiagnosed or ignored.

I went way too long without a vacation after my last trip,   I spent the entire summer working on several projects. . In December, we spent a few days in Ocean City Maryland.  The weather was beautiful. We went to Assateague Island to see the wild horses. We traveled once again for Christmas. Fortunately, we spent New Year’s Eve at home trying to stay awake.  I made it.

Here’s to 2015.  In May, it will be 40 years since I graduated from Woodlawn High School. The Class of 1975 held the first integrated Senior Prom in the Gymnasium. In June, we will celebrate our 30^th wedding anniversary. It will also mark 25 years since I graduated from Residency and passed my first Family Medicine Board. I started my practice in Cambridge MD that year.

I hope that this year will bring enlightenment and a more intelligent discussion on race in America. I am looking forward to seeing “Selma” and Kevin Costner and Octavia Spencer in “Black or White.” These two movies highlight some important facts about race, civil rights and how much we all have in common. Also important is the fact they highlight what we can lose if we refuse to understand and support each other. We can lose our right to vote, die at the hands of someone who only sees the color of your skin and fears you.