And that’s a trend we hope will continue.

The recession of 2008 that kicked so many in the gut has not entirely left us, but layoffs are down and families and business leaders are acclimating to the new normal.

Projects that seemed dead in the water as 2011 began have new life in 2012, led by the megadevelopment that is Wendell Falls.

Local elections have passed, some mean and nasty, others staid and unassuming. That means 2012 will be a year for governing at the local level and that bodes well for voters who need their government to be about providing services rather than talking about them.

And, as we turn the calendar, we see state and national elections in May and November. Those typically inspire some businesses to take action while they can under existing rules. Others, sadly, will wait until the elections in November have passed to make significant investments in people and production out of fear for what elections may bring.

All those things said, here’s what we hope for in 2012. We hope for a continued return to normalcy. We hope for steady improvement in the economy as they will be signs of a longer-lasting recovery.

We hope for a steadier, less acrimonious Wake County Board of Education that focuses on what’s best for the most children and remembers the lessons of the election of 2009, to wit: elected leaders who don’t listen closely to what their constituents have to say will find themselves on the outside looking in one election cycle later.

And, we hope that you and your family prosper in whatever way you define prosperity, be it in a financial sense or in the growth of your family.

2012 is ahead of us. We should all embrace it and make the very most of it that we can.