Of Hope

{Narcissus - a flower of hope, rebirth, and new beginnings}

So begins my reflections of 2009. If anything, this year was not the friendliest to my spirit. However, I found many cheery moments. If anything, this year showed me how lucky I am to have all the people I have found in my life and through this blog! You are all gifts!

So this year and decade draw to a close, and a new time throws back its crisp, fresh curtains to all that lies ahead. This is the part I have been waiting for. I hopeful that this time to come will be my brass ring.

In thinking about these past ten years, these past twelve months, I marvel at all the joys and trials, how they have changed us and how, in some cases, we have refused to change, refused to succumb to things that would cause more harm than good. I think about how I've changed since the start of this decade - in many ways, I started very closed and focused on a few straightforward goals of being a "good girl," studying hard to advance in life, and enjoying a simple, quiet life in the tranquil Maine woods. There were times when I clung to this lifestyle more tightly than I ought - there were times when I should have let go, but I didn't. These small chinks of opportunity were filled whole with my fear of change. I dreaded change as much as I wanted it.

But no more. In this new time, I hope to be more open to change. I will crave it and welcome it. This is a promise I make to myself. A simple resolution I carry in my pocket. I am hopeful! I wish you all, dear friends, hope and joy for your own lives in the coming time!