"We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day." -- Edith Lovejoy Pierce (b. 1904), poet
I thank my friend Shauna Roberts for the quotation, which is perfect to start off the New Year.
I believe in new beginnings, and I like them. I always make New Year's resolutions, although I rarely stick to them for long. I am an optimist. I always try again.
2007 was not a good year for me. I suffered through a variety of worries: extreme anxiety for a beloved family member dealing with addiction, as well as my own health problems, financial worries, caretaking responsibilities, job issues, and free-floating anxiety.
Today marks the end of 2007, however, and tomorrow is a new year. I mentally erase the blackboard of 2007, washing it clean for the new self-history I will write in 2008.
Things for which I was especially thankful in 2007:
- My Family: I love them and they love me, even when we are in conflict.
- My Friends--especially Brenda, Carolyn, Cheryl and Joanne: their love and support have rescued me from despair.
- My Writer's Group, Wordsmiths (Laura, Candice, Charles, Steve, and Emily): They are not only professional colleagues, but also good friends; their opinions, tastes and judgment in literary and other matters are significant to me; their concern during my dark times over the past year has helped enormously.
- My Pets--the dogs (Dozia, Galadriel, Squeaky) and the cats (Katy, Harmony, Precious): their unconditional love and eagerness to please have comforted me through dark times.
- My Job: Even when there is chaos at home, at the office things are orderly, logical, peaceful and predictable.
- My Books: Reading them lets me escape into other minds, other lives, and other worlds; possessing them makes me feel rich, replete, rapturous and reverent. When I am anxious I sort out piles of books and I am calmed.
I will post my New Year's Resolutions for 2008 tomorrow.
Happy New Year to all my blog-friends. I'm grateful to have "met" you over the past year, through our exchanges of posts and comments.
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11 comments:
Happy New Year, Sphinx Ink, and may 2008 be much happier.
Sorry to hear 2007 was such a rough time for you.
Maybe 2008 be even better than you anticipate.
That is: May 2008 be better.
Sheesh. :)
Happy happy, *happy* new year!
And I'm with Kate: let's hope May of 2008 is particularly fine!
Damn Roman calendar. I prefer to count the years from the date of my birth. For me, it's 52 A.S
Sphinx,
I wish you a very Happy 2008. Addiction in the family is a tough one to deal with -- I find the "serenity prayer" is a good meditation when the anxiety level creeps up and overwhelms.
My best to you and I look forward to more great blog posts this year.
I'm sorry you had such a struggle in 2007. You are one of the kindest and most thoughtful people I know, and I hope 2008 will rock for you.
Happy New Year, Sphinxy! That is a wonderful quote. Since 2007 ended with ANOTHER car smash, I'm going to try to hold that image in my head. My year hasn't touched yours for trauma, but here's hoping for a better 2008.
Happy New Year! Best to you & yours!
Stewart; It's actually 40 A.L. this year. :)
Thanks to all of you for your good wishes. I'm determined that I won't let problems in 2008 get to me the way they got to me in 2007. I was a pitiful (and self-pitying) mess some of the time, but I'm going to be proactive this year (assuming I understand what "proactive" means) and beat the problems before they beat me.
Stewart, I like your way of counting the years...but I can't figure out how to write it to apply to myself since--were it not for the fact that we Sphinxes are ageless--I might be considered a few years older than you.
Charles, thanks for the kind words. Your good opinion means a lot to me.
C.S.--Oh No! not again. I hope no one (including the car) was hurt, or at least not hurt badly.
To all my blog-friends: Your good wishes warm my heart.
Everyone's allowed to wallow in self-pity sometimes. It can even be a good thing to do so. Self-pity grows old fast and can be a great kick in the butt to change one's life when lesser motivators fail.
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