Remembering 2010

Well its January of 2011..and as always, last year was a year of many events, tragedies, losses and moments. Here I've taken a moment to reflect on some of them. Happy New Year to all of my readers, and may you have an extraordinary 2011. May it be a year of breakthroughs and victories that impact the rest of your life.

1) In January of 2010, Haiti suffered an earthquake that registered as a 7.0 on the rector scale. It was estimated that approximately 230,000 people died; another 300,000 people were injured; and about 1,000.000 people were left homeless as a result of this earthquake.

2) Teddy Pendergrass, a legend in the music industry died on January 14th at the young and precious age of 59 due to complications from a car accident several years before. His contribution to the world of music will be a huge missing for music lovers.

3) 33 Chilean Miners were trapped underground for 69 days. I acknowledge all the professionals who skillfully planned the rescue of these miraculous men, who all passed their examinations with flying colors after being underground for more than two whole months. You are all blessed beyond words, and may you enjoy every single moment of your precious futures.

4) A batch of consumer protections under the Credit Card Act of 2009, actually took effect in February of 2010, and some in August of 2010. These provisions include things like preventing people who are younger than 21 from opening a credit card account unless they have an adult co-signer and placing restrictions on the reasons and timeframes for increasing interest rates on credit cards.

5) In April of 2010, news of the BP Oil Spill flooded the airways and news channels. This oil spill caused significant damage to wildlife and impacted the tourism industry for years to come. BP was deemed by the government to be responsible for the tragic incident and held accountable for cleanup costs, as well as for the cost of rectifying other damages.

6) The great George Steinbrenner, owner of the New York Yankees, died on July 13th. He purchased the Yankees in 1973, was known as a "hands-on" baseball executive, and was often referred to as "The Boss."

7) After 7 1/2 years and the deaths of over 4,300 American Soldiers, the last US Combat Brigade departed from Iraq on August 18, 2010. President Obama's plan was to have this completed by August 31st.

8) The extraordinary and powerful Elizabeth Edwards passed away on December 7, 2010. She was a woman to be admired and we honor her and her contribution to life! Her passion for life, her stand for the causes that she believed in and her love for humanity will forever be missed.