Your New Year

“No matter where we are in our lives we always have some options. We still have all our senses and our minds are clear. Those we love are safe for now. Food tastes delicious, there are sweet animals everywhere who want to be our friend. Good coffee is available on most street corners. Some really fine people love us more than we love ourselves, and one day all of this will be gone. That’s really important to remember. We can carry the load so long as some or all of these things still keep us company along the way.”

I wrote this to a close friend who has been having a tough time recently. When I re-read it I thought it would be a good one to send out to those who have had a lousy 2021 for whatever reason. On this last day of an at best uncertain year, let’s all take a deep breath right before midnight, let it out a second or two before twelve, and then with the next, inhale fresh clean, still-unpolluted 2022 right down to the bottom of our toes.