Ed. note: Yes, certainly, parts of last year were pretty bad, yes, we noticed that. But not everything is terrible at all times in every way. And maybe, possibly, even probably, in this new year good things will happen.
Becky: Maybe the Steller’s jays will hop back and forth on the pine outside the kitchen window. Maybe the turkeys will riffle through the fallen oak leaves, which I did not pick up on purpose. Maybe my 3-year-old will draw another picture of her older sister. Maybe the package will arrive from Dnipro on time. Maybe there will be no more death in Gaza, or from rampaging viruses. Maybe the refugees who my friends are helping will arrive before January. Maybe the high natural fluoride in my municipal water supply will be enough? Maybe the wind will bring in more snow. Maybe, if we are lucky, that wind will be at just the right speed to make my favorite sound, whistling through the ponderosas. Maybe the holiday dinner will be low stress. Maybe we will even be happy. Maybe we’ll have our health, too. Maybe we will be together again someday, in some place. Maybe it will be warm when we get there, and we will see blue jays, and hear the wind.
Jenny: We lost a dog (not a good thing), but we are trying to adopt another one as I write this (a good thing that might happen). And here’s the best thing: This dog I’ve fallen for and will likely be fostering (with plans to adopt) had a really horrible beginning, was treated in the very worst ways, and now he’s getting a second chance and I’ll be part of giving it to him. I feel really good about that. I want to be one of the people in his life who convinces him that people can be kind. I already feel love for this pup I haven’t met yet, and I just know deep in my heart he’s going to be happy in our home and our family. Dogs are so forgiving; it’s remarkable, isn’t it? This dog has a genuine smile and exudes joy despite all that he’s been through. His “coming home” to spread that joy will be a very good thing in 2025. Plus, spring eventually comes. It always does.
Ann: In a former life I lived in a farmhouse in the country and for a number of uncontrollable reasons, for the first time in my life, I was isolated. What with one thing and another I got depressed, especially in bad weather. I learned — to be honest, taught myself with many repetitions and reminders — that weather needn’t control when I’m happy. The weather can be anything it likes, and on cold days a fire in the fireplace is a great comfort; and on cloudy days the light is a different color, it’s grey; and all the other colors grey down and get quiet, shining modestly of their own light. Grey cold has its own comfort and beauty. And this is one official, certified way to make good things happen.
Christie: We are in a period of great uncertainty, and that’s both scary and exciting. Scary because, well, there’s a chance someone who wants to end vaccine programs will end up in charge of our nation’s public health. A resurgence of polio is only one of the countless horrible outcomes we might expect from this incoming administration. But we don’t have to capitulate and accommodate. I have to believe that the good people among us will stand up and continue to do the work of building a better future. My agent sends the best holiday cards, and this year she wrote me “good wishes for 2025. May it be better than we expect.” I think that’s a good approach to the coming year. Government aside, there is so much to look forward to. I started making a list of things I’m looking forward to in 2025, and discovered that most of them were about spending time with people I love. All the friends who are coming to visit, the birthday trips and weddings. There is so much love in the world. Together, we’ve got this.
__________
Forest: By Agnes Monkelbaan – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=65994695
Doggy dog: By Basile Morin – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=100150893
