Happy New Year

The tradition began long ago: each year when I was a child, as we packed up the artificial Christmas tree, my dad would write some notes on the box.  The notes could be big events of the year, memories of the holidays, milestones that were reached, or just random things that came to mind.  The next year, with many of those memories buried along with the tree in the storage room, we would look forward to reading what we had written over the years.

The tradition continues in my house, with a fond trip down memory lane each year as we unpack the tree. The process of taking down the tree after the hustle and bustle and festivities of the holiday season is never one of my favorite things, for the chore itself is time-consuming and not very fun, but also because it marks the end of a wonderful time of the year and of another year's passing.  But I do enjoy the thoughtful reflection of the year behind us as I take the time to write on the box.

So with the year of "Everly was potty trained!" and "Cortlan started gymnastics!" and so much more behind us, it is time to look ahead and to wonder what the new year will bring for us to write about.    It is almost hard to imagine 2012 being as good as the past several years have been, but the great thing about a new year is the sense of hope and possibility, and that I have.  Never one for resolutions, my plan is just to continue to strive to be attentive and present and to enjoy the moments while they last.

Happy New Year!