A New Year... minus the election jitters

Today feels more like Thanksgiving to me than Hangover Day. It's warm, so I took a walk with my honey in our historical downtown, and I just enjoyed the small pleasures like sunshine, well-built modest older houses, the smooth bark and twisty branches in an evergreen hedge. I thought about my kids at home (twenty-somethings) and how they are good-hearted and honest.

It's hard for me to worry too much about the fate of the US on a day like today. We aren't currently at our strongest, but we are a wealthy country with a lot of reserves. I don't believe anyone on the left or the right is trying to subvert and destroy our country. Of course we need to be vigilant, work hard, and make the best decisions we can. Maybe we also need to back down on the fear and suspicion.

I'm going to reveal something surprising--I used to be a pessimist. For many years, I was one. But then I noticed many aspects of my life turned out well, like my career, my relationship with my parents and siblings, my kids, my town. Now I'm an optimist because that's what life has taught me.

Thank you, God, life, nature, and everyone.

 A different town, but the same feeling