Hope and faith flower from the cheerful seeds of the old year to the sprouting garden of the new year's dawn. ~Terri Guillemets, "Annuals," 2004

We have started the first full week of the new year. Are you ready? Are any of us ready for what 2021 has to bring our way? I am hoping you were able to celebrate Romjul. It is a time between Christmas and new years celebrated by Scandinavians. It is a time of relaxation. A time to hang out in your P.J.s, hang out with those you love and eat all those holiday leftovers (extra ham, lefse and rosettes). This time is great for meditation to give your mind and body rest. I personally call this my restart button. While I truely need Romjul at the end of the year, I also do my own mini version of this once a week. This past year we may have needed all the Romjul we could get! Worldly natural disasters, a pandemic, too much T.V. watching, murder hornets, meth gators, UFO's, riots, looting, zoom meetings, mask wearing, kerfews, lockdowns, a poorly run election. UFFDA!! At this point, so many just want to push the pause button on life. Unfortunately, life does not have a pause button. People still have bills to pay, jobs to do, food to grow, health to nurish, people to help. Amazingly enough this pours out in a wide variety based on each individual's needs, values, what they have to give and their ability. Because it looks different for everyone and not the same, it has caused the ugly to show, which greatly surprised me. I do not know one person (yet) that has passed of Covid19. However, 2019 I attended 3 funerals. My friends and family have lost spouses, parents and those closest to them. They still need cancer treatments, emergency surgery and to deliver their babies in a safe environment. But the stress of this year has led fewer people to be available ( or sometimes just lack of common sence) and more people to retreat away from society. It makes me truely sad. As we are all grieving an ending, we also celebrate each new beggining. Every end is the beggining of something new. 2020 I grieved deeply for every ending. Not coming home to all three of my children, to not camping with CJ, not 4 wheeling with CJ, not going on roadtrips with CJ. I miss his laughter and his crazy jokes that only he got. I miss not buying birthday and christmas presents but buying orchids and mailing out donations to those who need more than us. I grieve those early morning walks with CJ so we could let the rest of the family sleep just a bit longer. And sometimes bringing back donuts. I yearn for those long nightly snuggles. So now I look towards new begginings. A new 2021. I read that Nostradomis predicted 2021 will be worse than 2020. However, 2020 was not my worst year. We were blessed. So as I look towards 2021 I plan to listen to the news less. I plan to help my neighbor and focus on what I can contribute to my community. I will embrace my family and all their up comming milestones. We are not promised extra time, extra days and life does not have a pause button. 2021 is a good time to embrace all that is truely important.