Wishing You All a Happy New Year

Hello everybody.  2013 is almost here and we are celebrating as we do every year...just as we do every night...quiet and some would say boring; the TV on, nobody watching.  "A Man Who Came to Dinner" has just started.  I have never cared for old black and white movies, but for the last six months, I seek them out.  They seem so innocent and these days I am looking for a little more innocence.

Today I received an unexpected gift.   I was totally shocked to receive it, but at the same time I was thrilled.   Inside the bag were things I love.  My friend knows what I like for we are kindred spirits when it comes to cooking, cleaning, decorating, makeup, and just about everything else.  

Have you ever received a gift that was totally unexpected?  I have such pleasant memories of receiving a small box of homemade candy from someone when I was a teenager, and I think I recall that it was from one of my aunts.  It was my own little box of fudge.  It was wrapped with a bow with a name tag just for me.  I didn't have to share it with my brother or my sisters.  It was special.  It was unexpected.  It meant as much as any gift I got that year.

This week my daughter told me of a couple of sweet things that happened to her.  1.  Her garbage man picked up her trash.  Then he turned to pick up cans from the other side of the street and noticed her refilling her just emptied can.  He stopped the truck, got out, and came up and pulled her garbage can to empty it again for her.  2.  Then her neighbor across the street brought over a loaf of zucchini bread....totally unexpected.  They were acts of kindness.  My daughter and I talked for quite a while about these sweet acts, and I told her how that box of fudge was so sweet and unexpected for me. 

Sometimes it is those unexpected gifts or acts of kindness that mean the most.  The box of homemade candy I received that year will never be forgotten.  The thoughtfulness of a sweet friend will never be forgotten.  The memory of a neighbor bringing a loaf of quick bread will never be forgotten.  And the garbage man will never be thought of as a garbage man again.

So............as we near the midnight hour, my resolution is to try to be kinder, to be spontaneous, to act with compassion, to love unconditionally with no expectations. 

I love you my friends, my family. Thanks for a special lunch, my dear friend. 

Wishing you all a Happy New Year.