Another Opening, Another Show

And ye, who have met with Adversity's blast,
And been bow'd to the earth by its fury;
To whom the Twelve Months, that have recently pass'd
Were as harsh as a prejudiced jury -
Still, fill to the Future! and join in our chime,
The regrets of remembrance to cozen,
And having obtained a New Trial of Time,
Shout in hopes of a kindlier dozen.
~Thomas Hood

We rang in the new year quietly but sweetly with good port and great friends following a delicious meal at Joey.  Brian and Merv played pool while Geraldine and I talked and laughed as I tried to fix her computer problems without success.   Talk about the blind leading the blind. 

I haven't thought much about the coming year in terms of what it might bring or what resolutions I might make.  Instead it feels like a continuation of the old year in which I resolved to be open to the possibilities.  I think I'm going to stick with that.

2012 brought both highs and lows.  Early in the year, my mom turned ninety and Geradine's sister Beverley passed away.  Seven days later, we celebrated my sister Nancy's 65th birthday.  A month later, Merv and I vacationed in Puerto Rico.  While we were there, I got the news that I had passed my paralegal licensing exam.  The week following, Nancy had a mastectomy.  In the following months, our dear friend Bob lost his sister and brother to cancer and recovered from cancer surgery of his own. In May, Jacob brought his new girlfriend Courtney home.  Her frequent presence in our home over the summer brought us much joy.  Jacob, Jonathan, Merv and I took a great vacation to Newfoundland.  Jacob excelled in his fourth year of computer engineering studies and rose to the top of his university class.  I did some interesting work, learned a lot of new things and took a trip with some friends to Las Vegas.  Jacob got his last driver's license in the graduated licensing program and Merv paid his brother Eric a surprise visit to England to celebrate Eric's 60th birthday.  And in between it all, we celebrated Valentine's Day, Easter, Canada Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas and assorted birthdays and anniversaries. We mourned at several funerals and grieved with the world at the loss of innocents to violence. And now it is done.

2013 beckons.  New possibilities.  New opportunities.  Things to celebrate and no doubt, things to mourn.  I'm walking in with my head up and my heart open.  Wishing you the wonders of a new year.