As the year draws to a close, we'd like to invite you to share your favorite event of 2009.

Tell us in 50 words or less — what was a defining event for you this year, and why was it so special? Perhaps it was a grandchild's birth, a finished project, a skill learned?

We welcome photos (original prints or high-resolution digital images), which may appear in print or online. We'll publish stories and photos on Dec. 29.

Send your name, age, phone number and address, along with your story (and photo) to: Memories, Island Life, The Honolulu Advertiser, P.O. Box 3110, Honolulu, HI 96802; or e-mail it to zserrano@honoluluadvertiser.com with "Memories" in the subject line.

Submissions may be edited, and photo prints cannot be returned. The deadline is Dec. 21.