“…another year over and a new one just begun…”

It’s happened again. The start of a new year. For me, this one dawned with a new feel. It’s hard to put my finger on exactly what feels different, but it does. Every year, as December changes to January and I exchange last year’s wall calendar for this year’s, I imagine I will also change self-defeating thoughts to empowering ones and exchange bad habits for good. But that rarely happens and if it does, it doesn’t last.

Will this year be the year I can make changes, even a few, that last? I wonder what lies ahead? I wonder what it will mean for me. For my friends and my family. For my world.

Last year was hard. Really hard. Six times life crept up and knocked the wind out of me. Six times I stumbled, faltered and lost my balance. Each time, I would stop, take deep breath and regroup. We would emerge on the other side, bruised but still standing and determined to keep going.

For some reason, it’s the hard times we think of first. The truth is, some amazing things happened during some of the most difficult times. I learned I have good – really good – friends. And I was blessed to gain some new ones. Persistent, insistent, pushy ones. Friends, who despite my best efforts to convince them they had more important things to do and push them away, were determined to be there for me and for William.

Maybe that’s why this year feels different.

I wonder what this new, untasted year will bring? Solving the problems of this chaotic, upside-down world is way beyond my pay grade. But I can change how I live in it. Did I make any New Year’s resolutions? I did.

I intend to face each day with love and a grateful heart. Every day I’ll try to be the best me I can be and maybe, if I can, lend a hand to someone else.

If every today, or even most of them, I can manage to be even a little bit better than I was yesterday, it’ll be a good year.