Happy New Year

Dear Friends,

“Out with the old, in with the new...”

It is always a bit of a struggle to discard my used calendars that bear witness to my year through scrawled memos in a rainbow of inks upon the grids. Pulling it from the nail on the my living room wall is bittersweet, as the calendar bore witness to a year in my life.  I devote a few minutes to thumb through the months in review of the places and people that were integrated within my days.  I am able to categorize the people in my life into three different files: Reason. Season. Lifetime.

Those names that popped up once or twice this year on my calendar may have been reasons...souls like shooting stars that came and went quickly, leaving a footprint upon my destiny in some little way. A kind clerk, a visiting priest whose sermon somehow struck a chord. Unspoken interactions when only eyes meet. They can be compared to angels, fleeting and yet memorable.

Season: Some acquaintances pay an extended visit in my life, offering something of value in the way of a life lesson. Teachers, friends, lovers. Some may depart because of a challenging experience while others may have moved away or departed this earth. They are necessary ingredients in my life like eggs or milk, while the reasons are a mere pinch of spice. This leads me to the sustaining staple, the flour or lifetime people.

Lifetime: Those in it for the long-haul include family, true-blue friends, unconditionally-loving companions and steadfast soul mates who are as comfortable as my favorite t-shirt. These are truly life’s gifts. “Make new friends, but keep the old. One is sterling and the other gold.”

May 2011 find your calendar grids saturated with happy events that include acquaintances from all three categories! I wish for you a healthy and joyful new year filled with much contentment.