Off To A Rough Start

Psst. 2017? Can I see you over here for a second?
Thanks.
I know we've just met and all, but I knew your predecessor, and we didn't always get along. 2016 was a voracious beast that took more than it gave, and you'll forgive me if I'm stepping on any toes here but I'm really glad to have last year in my rearview mirror if you get my meaning. I confess that I do tend to live in the past a little bit and when you get some time I hope you have a chance to sit down and catch up on my blog. Lots of great memories. But look at me, telling a year "if you have the time." I know how you tend to fly by, but while I've got you here for a second I just want to say this:
Mary Tyler Moore: Why?
I am still trying to get past the sorrow I have been feeling at the loss of Carrie Fisher and her mom. Talk about a one-two punch. I thought backing Prince up on David Bowie was a pretty nasty trick, but relieving us of Princess Leia and Tammy in just a couple of days was really uncool. Now you show up, with your inauguration and alternative facts and a Doomsday Clock that needs to be re-calibrated to seconds instead of minutes and you take her.
Why Mary?
I know that even the brightest lights fade, and we all have to go sometime, but why Mary and why now? She could turn the world on with a smile. She could take a nothing day and suddenly make seem worthwhile. And you took her away from us. Now.
Well, the joke's on you because my first reaction was to tear up and get all sad, and then I found myself laughing uncontrollably. Because that, I believe, is what Mary would have wanted. I sat right down and watched the funeral of Chuckles The Clown. I laughed until I cried again, and it felt good. This is a light that won't go out.
That's when I had this vision: Mary Tyler Moore standing in a street in Anywhere, America. She spins around and tosses a hat in the air. A knit pink hat.
Aloha, Mary. You stomped on the Terra, and brought us all a smile. 2017? We've had this little talk now. Watch your step.