Once upon a time, I gauged the success of New Year’s Eve by how great the party was. I planned the fun, months in advance, as though my future depended on it. Ah, youth. Now, I am more likely to be at home in my pajamas, nursing a glass of wine when the clock strikes midnight than out painting the town red. I guess I must acknowledge the shifting perception that comes with age. Like so many others, I find myself a little introspective as the new year approaches, reciting the platitudes that we all know so well. Somehow, before the page on the calendar flips from December to January, we drink a cup of good cheer, spoon a heaping serving of optimism upon our holiday plates and liberally sprink
I have been trying to think of the perfect Christmas blog idea for two weeks now. In the past, I have written about lessons from Santa and carefully selected presents. I have explored what the holiday means to me both spiritually and emotionally. I have tried to hold tight to the moments, wondering how many more of them I get to share with family and friends. So yeah, I have exhausted all of the possibilities to do justice to this, the most wonderful time of the year. I suppose that it is every writer’s nightmare to dip into a dry creative well. It certainly is mine. And I so want this post to be perfect and inspiring and timely. No pressure, right? Let’s face it: the stress is on from Thank
Most of us are familiar with the phrase “sleep like a baby.” How we long for that kind of blissful, uninterrupted rest. Let's face it: the further we get from those early moments of infancy, the more challenging sleep becomes. By the time we reach adulthood, we regularly wake through the night, mentally reviewing a to-do list or worrying about the “what ifs” in life. It is a nocturnal ritual that so many of us recreate more often than not. I am no exception. Lately, however, I am roused, not by anxiety, but with gratitude. In the still of the night, I am reminded that I am very much alive, hopeful and optimistic about my tomorrows. I have learned to chase moments with reverent thanksgiving,
