Nearly two weeks ago, I said I would be taking a week off from blogging. And then a week turned into ten days turned into a few days more... My kids went back to school today, and while I'm grateful to try to get back into my writing rhythm, I'm also grateful for the time we had together as a family. More on that later.

I had intended to offer a post last Monday with some sort of summary of 2012. Maybe my favorite posts of the past year. Maybe the ones you all liked the most. Maybe my top books or movies or articles. But I never quite got around to it. Perhaps its because the year is still a blur. Or perhaps I was too busy unpacking Christmas presents and trying a new butternut squash recipe and listening to Penny tell me about the thrills of her seventh birthday. (Yes, really, I promise, more on all of that later, maybe tomorrow, definitely by Monday. I think.)

Thankfully, countless others have provided some good summary lists in my stead. Hermeneutics has offered their Top Ten Posts of the year as well as the Best of 2012, selected by writers (other than me, again, I missed the deadline!). Micah Boyett offered her Favorite Posts of the Year, and of course every news outlet under the sun came up with some way to summarize 2012. And, drumroll here, Q Ideas offered their 2012 in Review: Editors Picks. In addition to five excellent articles from writers like Tim Keller, Amy Simpson, and Kate Harris about everything from mental illness to working mothers to gay rights, they selected five talks, including the talk, For All People, I gave at the Q conference last spring in Washington, D.C. It's a 9 minute talk that discusses cultural ideas about perfection and prenatal testing through the lens of our personal narrative.

So here I am, a few days late and a few words short, and mostly happy for it. Happy reading, listening, and Happy New Year!