Msnbc.com readers share their 2008 memories

As part of msnbc.com's Year In Review coverage, we asked readers to share the biggest events of their lives from the past year with us. Below are a sample of some of the stories we received.

Make sure to check out the photos of memorable moments from 2008 sent in by msnbc.com users here, and submit your own highlights here.

Phabulous year This year has been incredible for me. I celebrated my 50th birthday, my hometown baseball team, the Philadelphia Phillies won the World Series, my sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha, Inc., celebrated its 100th anniversary and I witnessed the election of the first African-American president. The election held personal significance for me because for the first time in my life I took an active role in the election process (donations, door-to-door canvassing, etc.). I have always believed that every day is a blessing from the Lord and that has been especially true in this great year of 2008!!! --Anonymous , Winston Salem, NC (submitted on Dec. 7, 2008)

Fighting — and still hopeful 2008 changed my Life. I have become an advocate for fighting cancer. I lost my grandmother in January and my mother in October. In November I was told that I could have cancer. I do not. I now see life every day as precious. My two children are more beautiful. My students are great. I call friends and other family members just to tell them I love them. I have learned that there truly is more to life than things. Life is about family, love, hope, faith and trust. --Patricia Potter, Corsicana, TX (submitted on Dec. 5, 2008)

Obama brings pride As an almost 70-year-old woman, I have been involved in many elections over the years but never one that kept us so on the edge of our seats for the last two years. I have also never seen an election where we had such a terrific slate of Democratic candidates from the beginning. It made me proud of this country and them to see how they hung in there week after week and how they bowed out when it was time for them to go. I thought one of the finest examples of dignity that I have seen in years was President Elect Obama keeping his cool through all the months, the mud slinging and the ugly,sometimes very racist rhetoric. He won me over early and I loved watching him win over others as the year progressed. I was NEVER so proud of a candidate. My husband and I put our hearts, our time and finally our checkbooks into this campaign. I can probably never adequately explain what it felt like when President Obama won on Election Night. Not only does it seem to take away the sting of the last eight years but it brings such hope for us and for the world. I can harldy wait for him to be sworn in. This was an Election that I never really thought I would live to see. What a day for us and for our country! --Patricia Chitty, Boise, ID (submitted on Dec. 7, 2008)

Wonderful weddings Well, 2008 started with a proposal in January on my birthday. Then in March my sister was married and then had my first nephew in May. In September because of the market, my future husband and I were able to buy a house with an awesome rate. Next, I saw the first black man win the election then I was married 4 days later on November 8th. The other wonderful thing about my wedding is that all of my grandparents were alive to see me walk down the aisle. Last great thing about 2008: I made it and am alive to ring in 2009! --Amy Davis, Piedmont, SC (submitted on Dec. 10, 2008)

Goodness in people's hearts I have the privilege of running a small food pantry in the southeast. As I saw the news concerning the state of the economy and the massive job losts my first reaction was fear. How were we going to feed all these people, how do we decide who to help and who we have to turn away? Much sleep was lost. I found my dreams were filled with counting cans and talking to people about this crisis. I began to write letters to churches, stores, schools, the famous and the unfamous urging them to be a part of the solution. I believe in the goodness of humans and I also believe in the generosity and kindness of the American people. Wow, was I right. The word was getting out and people began to respond. School buses were full of young students carrying bags full of groceries, students were having food drives and volunteering in our pantry. Churches were responding and civic groups came to our aid. Many individuals also helped by collecting food, filling our Gap bags (bags delivered to the elderly/homebound) and delivering them. The response has been overwhelming. No one has been turned away, and all who work in the pantry see a new hope for our community. Now, we all know most of the giving is done during the holiday season and we have been warned that by January, the giving will drop dramatically. Will I let the fear of the past rob us of the blessings in our future. Absolutely not! The goodness of our community is still here and the generous nature of human beings has not been removed but has been fueled by a new hope that if we care and share with those who are in need we fill our own need to be a part of something bigger than ourselves. We once again find our true purpose. When we stop thinking about lack and start seeing abundance we begin to look at our own lives and see that we do indeed have much, and much to share. When we can look into a persons face and see thier fears, needs, hopes and dreams and see them as a reflection of ourselves, we begin to repair their lives knowing our own lives will begin to be blessed. I know with all my being that our pantry has been a lifeline to many but what I know even more than that, all who volunteer here, work here, bring food here, drive, pack and serve our community here are the real recepients. We get the opportunity to be what we were meant to be; the reflection of some small part of the goodness of man. Knowing this, my dreams may still be of counting cans, but I believe there will always be cans to count. --Katherine Sheltoon, Greensboro, NC (submitted on Dec. 10, 2008)

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