The Best of 2015

This week is filled with lists of the "biggest news stories" or the "most fascinating people" or "top moments" of the year.  Rather than rehash all of that here, I thought I would share the three best moments of 2015 for me.

Number Three: When the Wisconsin Badgers beat the previously-undefeated Kentucky Wildcats in the NCAA National Semi-Finals.  I tried hard to remember that night while watching this season's Badgers struggle to score against Purdue at home in last night's loss.  This would have been moment 3B if Wisconsin would have held on to beat Duke in the National Championship game two nights later.

Number Two:  This scene after the third round of the PGA Championship at Whistling Straits:

This was on the way to the scoring area where Jordan Spieth was met by his younger sister Ellie.  Spieth had just shot a 65--including five birdies in his last eight holes--to move into second and get into the final group with Jason Day on Sunday.  But that hug from Ellie--who is cognitively disasbled--was the highlight of his day (and for those of us lucky enough to be back there). 

And the Number One Best Moment of 2015: The afternoon my wife and I spent at Polihale State Park on Kauai.

A few years ago, my mother-in-law passed away.  She wanted to be cremated--with some of her ashes spread in Hawaii.  In planning for our 10th anniversary trip to the islands, I looked for a place where we could do that.  I didn't want it to be somewhere thousands of people would be trampling every day--but someplace quiet, beautiful and special.  I read about Polihale--which is where the 1000-foot tall Na Pali Cliffs end--and where 15-miles of uninterrupted golden-sand beach begins.

It's one of the most amazing places on Earth--and few people ever see it--as only way to get there is to take a five mile, pot-holed and muddy cane road that the rental car companies want you to stay off and a two would cost you a month's pay.  But we made the trek out there.

Right away, my wife knew this was the perfect spot for her Mom's ashes.  And to see the smile on her face as she returned from the private moment at the point where the cliffs met the beach was far and away the best moment of 2015.

I tried to keep that in mind while I spent an hour and a half trying to clear the snow from my driveway yesterday.