2021

We’ve entered into yet another year. It’s amazing how fast twelve months can fly by, isn’t it? When I was a child, time seemed so slow especially in the classroom, but somewhere along the way time began to speed up to an incredible pace that sometimes leaves me completely baffled, even when living through a pandemic.

However, as I get used to writing 2021, I’ve begun to realize that each new year is an opportunity to leave the past behind and plunge head on into the future. In my book, newness will always be welcome as an opportunity to make changes. At the start of a new year I don’t make resolutions as such. I only make myself aware that there’s always room for improvement in many areas of life.

Of course, each new year means that before it is over, each of us will be adding a candle on our birthday cake. In my case, my son commented recently that we might need a fireman close by when lighting all those candles, but I digress.

The unknown author had it right: Do not regret growing older, it’s a privilege denied to many. Of course, as we age we may encounter more aches and pain, but I think it’s important to realize that laughing at life’s foibles and concentrating on sharing the wisdom of years of living with our children and grandchildren is what aging is all about.

When it comes to aging, I like to think of Alphonse Karr’s comment: Some people are always grumbling because roses have thorns; I am grateful thorns have roses. May you have many roses on your path in the coming year to lessen the pain of the thorns.