Buds on Bare Branches

"The real difficulty is to overcome how you think about yourself. If we don't have that, we will never grow." Maya Angelou

"We must drink from the deep well of things as they are." David Whyte

In a few hours I'll meet with a friend to walk and talk about the year that is ending and what we'd like for ourselves beginning tomorrow. I want to forgive myself for dwelling on who I am not and how I wish people in my life were just a little bit different. I don't have to do that and in fact I need to knock it off--especially when I gnaw on bones chewed decades ago. I want to celebrate myself for growing and finding joy in art and writing and delight in what I am creating. I want to share with my friend all the things I'm grateful for. Then I want to spin dreams about what can be, what can come to pass if I'm willing to stretch and forgive and celebrate.

Tomorrow is only tomorrow. There isn't magic in a new year, but it is a demarcation if we want it to be between our intentions and our willingness to step into those intentions with actions we can believe in.

Baruch ata adonai...thank you for this day. Thank you for the sunshine of the morning and for the tiny buds on bare branches. Thank you for the courage you have instilled in me to move forward with enthusiasm and joy. Thank you for teachers you've put in my path. Thank you for being with me in difficult times and for leading me to those who helped me move through. Thank you for the gifts of sight and sound and smell and touch and taste. And also, thank you for helping me recover this prayer when I thought I had deleted it mid thought. You are a blessing.  Amen