When the end of the year arrives, it's natural for us to pause and take stock in the previous 12 months.

Well, I did just that, and from what I saw, the end of 2014 can't come soon enough.For me, the past year has been one of the most difficult times in terms of tragedy and sorrow.I lost lifelong friends and classmates Tom Shea and Bonnie Schuetrumpf.We first met at school, where we were thrown together by the alphabet, last names starting with sc, se and sh. But we quickly became close friends.At times, the Three Musketeers.I looked up to them, literally, because Tom and Bonnie both stood 6 feet tall. I'll never forget how impressive they looked when they went to the prom together.It's hard to accept that these talented, intelligent individuals have departed, and just months apart.Thank goodness I can rely on a busy work schedule to avoid doldrums or depression. Being productive is important, and I have someone who reminds me of it regularly.Whenever she sees me, upbeat friend Phyllis Lane admonishes, "Don't you ever stop writing."Phyllis is a loving person who exudes energy and good vibes, a feeling of positivity. Everybody needs a Phyllis Lane in his or her life.A few days ago when I sat down and reviewed news stories from throughout the year, I couldn't help but notice a pattern.It seems I covered a shooting, a murder, a war death, a bank robbery, house fires, car collisions and drug busts. None of it was pleasant.Of course, one murder covered by the newspaper hit home in a big way. I still can't believe my niece is gone.Oddly enough, much of the other bad news hit home, too.Take the unsolved bank robbery at Mauch Chunk Trust. It took place about 500 feet from my house. Too close for comfort.How about the various car and motorcycle crashes in Hometown? About eight of them happened in my general location, and half were fatal.Maybe this is to be expected when a four-lane highway cuts through your neighborhood.Still, the victims in a few of the incidents were people I knew. The tragedies hit home.And then there was the pre-Christmas house fire that destroyed everything owned by seven people in two families.Like the other calamities, the MaryD blaze hit home. It impacted the Nelson family, friends I've known ever since I can remember.I suppose it's not unusual when bad news hits home. In a small town, everybody knows just about everybody else.That sentiment was apparent last Saturday night when I covered a candlelight vigil for Palmerton teens killed in a Friday night car crash.No words can suitably describe the sense of loss and heartache felt by the families and community.We're small-town people involved in each others' lives. So when bad news happens, it hits home for all of us.Yes, 2014 was a big year for bad news.Lives were lost. Families torn apart. Many of us were saddened by events over which we have no control.All in all, it was a bitter year and a difficult time to work in the newswriting biz.I'm not sure how much healing possibly can take place in 2015. But I do know I'm ready for it.If ever there was a yearning for a Happy New Year, it's now.Here's hoping for a healthful, uplifting 2015 for all of us.We deserve it.