One Nation, Under God

New Year - New Beginnings

Here it is. 2022 is about to tie up any loose ends and call it a wrap.

There are those among us who are wondering what happened to 2022, oh where did it go? Yet there are as many contemplating…can this year just move on and start a new year fresh?

As you snuggle next to your fireplace or crawl under those electric blankets attempting to ignore the blasted cold out, it is still a good time to think about the new year and new beginnings.

WELCOME 2023! Well, perhaps in a few days, with the exception of some distant readers who will get this greeting as the streets of New York begin to clear for the big count down.

This year there are several things you might want to contemplate on and give some consideration to. I would like to share a few with you.

Perhaps this year. What better time than the freshness of the new year to at least make an effort to get a head start on the right track. This year, grab a tablet or note cards and write a handful of greetings. Send those greetings to an aunt or uncle you may not have much contact with, you don’t know what a difference it will make in their life. Or your grandparents, or a college friend. Think about someone who may have done a quiet deed for someone else…thank them.

This is a good starting point at which you can check the fences and bridges. The ones I am thinking about aren’t wooden or metal. They are the fences that you may have built around your friendship with someone. That bridge might be the one that was destroyed between yourself and a family member or friend.

Is holding a grudge worth the headache (and needless to say, heartache) or is it time to take a deep look and think it over and make amends and extend a handshake? We only go through this world once…don’t let pride ruin a friendship with a neighbor, friend or family. If it doesn’t work, at least you tried!

What about taking time to volunteer at the school? There are classes that would welcome someone to visit and listen to the kids read to them. After all, you didn’t get to be an adult by chance…you had a lot of formative years, too.

Hard of hearing? Consider baking on occasion and gifting the goods to someone who is shut in, lonely, or just needing someone who cares. If you don’t drive or know of anyone in need, call the Council on Aging and they may be able to assist by delivering or finding someone who can.

One act (that we have done on several occasions) is to get flowers and deliver them to someone who might want to know they are being thought about. This is a fun one – use garden fresh flowers selections or stop at the floral outlets and get your start. I took my daughter with me years ago and delivered long stem roses to friends. One who was in her 80’s cried when we arrived (and no, not because we arrived!) and shared that she had never had a rose in her lifetime. That lady was on oxygen and shortly thereafter, passed away. We felt our timing was one of the best messages we had.

Another option is to go to the flower shop and order a number of roses (or carnations) and pay for them. Then drop a card in the mail and tell your selected individual to go to the flower shop and tell them they have received a card to pick up a rose (or flower of your selection). You can do it anonymously as well if you would like. Many of the best deeds are those that are given from the heart with no strings attached.

One item, whether you want to think about it or not, is the time we have to enjoy life is predetermined and we are just along for the ride. A wise (and I will say, elderly) friend once said we should each write our own obituary every couple of years. Not for the morbid or bleakness of the concept, instead as a time measurement. In other words, a reality check on your own private “Bucket List” and if you have accomplished what you want to in your world. By taking the time to write your obituary, there may be things brought to mind that you haven’t shared with your kids. It’s a mental note for passing down history. As much time as I spent with my grandma, it wasn’t until sometime in the mid-80’s that she and my husband, Sid’s grandma came to our house one holiday, just the two of them, us and our houseful of little humanoids. My grandma sat down at the piano in the dining room and started playing tunes on the ivories! I didn’t have a clue she could play it…but you can bet I sat down beside her and made the best of those captured moments…that became a memory

Here’s your time, a new year, and new opportunities. Always remember to have an extra smile in case you see someone without one~pass one along. Never miss the given moment to make someone smile either…my day is wasted if I don’t. Here’s to 2023…let’s make it all it can be!

 

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