Here it is New Year’s Day once again. And once again my day has not gone as I had planned. I have not accomplished all that I had planned, actually hardly anything I had planned. But I had long chats with two dear and precious people in my life and accepted an unexpected invitation to join my son’s family for a meal, and oh, the good chats, laughter and hugs I shared! I arrive at the evening full of gratitude and satisfaction, and lifted up. It is good to be open to God’s plans for me and not hard set on my own.

I came across something I wrote quite a number of years ago and shared in a note with friend. This dear friend printed out my note and sent it back to me. In it, I call myself Honey. I quite often have these talks with myself and call myself Honey. I share this bit of philosophy with you now:

Honey, here’s something I’ve learned. If the dishes no longer suit you, and you find yourself getting excited by those in another color and style, even if it all seems frivolous, get rid of the old and get the new. If that blouse you once loved and is still perfectly wearable, but you are just so tired of it, and like a new one in a totally wild color you never thought you would wear, take the new one. If you have a yearning to sit for ten minutes with tea, do. No matter what you think, ten minutes will hardly make any difference in routine. Life is all the time sucking at us, and we must constantly water and feed ourselves. We can do it. The things that lift us up are never all that expensive or hard. ~ CAM

The words above speak to me again, and maybe they speak to some of you who read them.
I was thinking over this idea as I walked several days ago, when I noticed the the sunlight glimmering on magnolia leaves, and then on the water of a creek as I walked over a bridge. I saw my dog moving happily and felt the breeze on my face. I realized suddenly a myriad of blessings, and my word for the year came to me–Those of you who have read my blog for some time know I choose a word for the year, which I generally forget along about March.

Well, this year I choose Celebrate. It is certainly a word and idea that lifts. And it does fit in with carrying Christmas through the year.

Happy New Year and God bless.