Why we need year-in-review stories

I know some people feel irritation at all those year-in-review stories that appear this weekend. But I think they help us.

Each year contains a lifetime. Major changes. Births, deaths, retirements. One task at the end of a long life is to do a life review, understand what mattered, what didn’t.

2011 is dead forever. Not coming back. No chance for a redo.

Those end of year stories? Little life reviews. Grief work in disguise.