Loss. We’ve experienced so much of it in 2016. Family members, friends, co-workers, celebrities – 2016 seemed not to be kind to baby boomers. But death is a part of life. It is the inevitable final chapter in a book that we all share.

But here’s the thing: this chapter of your life – the here and now – exists because you are present. Simply put, you’re alive. Life is a gift. The day you were born, the gift was unwrapped with your first breath, your first wail, your first skin-to-skin contact as your mother wrapped her loving arms around you and held you close. And so began decades of a life that has likely seen its share of ups and downs.

In 2016, there were moments that took your breath away – both for the glorious experiences and those that reduced you to tears. There was joy and sadness, jubilance and misery, elation and despair. But you got through it. Another year down, many more hopefully to come.

Yes, the stormy times that upset the balance of life may have outweighed the days of smooth sailing, but don’t dwell on everything that went awry in 2016. Bask instead in those moments that make up fond remembrances.

You’ve loved and you’ve lost, squealed with laughter and wept in sorrow, cheered for your favorite and hissed at the underdog. It’s been one hell of a year. Now, for better or worse, it is a part of history. But you aren’t.

You’re here. You’re alive. You’re making plans to kick ass and take names. Yes, you! Why? Because you’re that fierce. As a woman of midlife, you’ve got that conquering spirit within you and you’re gonna use it.

Mourn the losses. Remember the fallen. Shed a tear or two if you must. Just remember . . . you’ve made it this far – to midlife and beyond. You’re living in the fullness of your gift and that gift is life. What do you plan to do with it in 2017?