We woke the morning of the last day of 2016 and held our breath. Last year that evening began with a visit to the ER and proved to foreshadow the rest of the year. It was a heavy heartbreaking year, the kind that leaves you with many more questions than answers. So we were apprehensive of how the day would unfold to say the least. And yet... And yet the evening came and went, midnight burst into the sky and a new year began. And all the children were asleep in their beds and not even the pets were stirring. All was calm, all was bright. And I felt the flutter of hope in my chest.
We spent the first day of the year cuddled up around a fire that Kevin kept going throughout the entire day. The children played, we ate and slept and soaked up each other's company unburdened by the thoughts of bills, housework and to-do lists. For the time being. Tomorrow we will begin anew. The list making, the puttering about, the running of errands and going to work. And although it doesn't sound nearly as delightful as aimless lounging I am for once looking forward to the blank slate that lies before us.
So unlike last year I would like to release into the universe some goals and dreams that are bubbling inside me. In hopes that this year we can not just survive but thrive I'd like to hope that I can aim a little higher, challenge myself to do a little better this year.