What good is the warmth of summer without the cold of winter to give it sweetness. John Steinbeck.
Back to work and by work I mean the work of living. Christmas has come and gone. Presents have been opened, turkeys have been cooked and loved ones have hugged and returned home. 2014 has arrived and as anyone over the age of 40 has expressed, “Where did the year go?” We saw floods and earthquakes, papal resignations, more murders than I have time to write about, the extinction of precious animals, Gay rights being celebrated and but also denied, human rights infringements (PRISM) and we saw war.
My new year started with some pain and suffering. Not mine directly but my mom who fell and fractured her hip which led to various dire consequences. Hilde is now ensconced in Providence Villa and has begun the long and arduous task of rehabilitation. At 86 already suffering from scoliosis, deteriorating discs and a torn meniscus, this is no easy task.
All of which makes me more aware of my health and that of my loved ones. New year resolutions have never been my style. I mean, if I didn’t do it last year, why on earth would a promise made after a bottle of delicious red wine alter my decision making process. But over the last ten years I have made slow steady steps to better health. Thanks to my daughter I have been removing many toxic products from my diet. Yoga continues to give me flexibility and inner core strength to deal with the day to day living. The scale no longer holds the key to my well being. And we walk….Voldemort and I walk. We walk in the afternoon when the sun is starting to wane. We walk when the crystals of snowflakes dance around our eyes. We walk in the mountains.
Here on the west side of the country people greet each other when they meet in passing. When we walked at home in Scarborough, Voldemort would greet every person we passed. This was often met with distrust, surprise and confusion. But I noticed after several weeks the people we met (many of whom spoke very little English) would smile and return the salutation. Voldemort’s own kind of pay-it-forward by giving our neighbours a happy thought.
So whatever 2014 has brought you, embrace it and own it. Using the phrases that were all too common in the sixties, “Keep on truckin’ ” or “Hang in there, baby!”. Happy New Year!
I’m convinced of this: Good done anywhere is good done everywhere. For a change, start by speaking to people rather than walking by them like they’re stones that don’t matter. As long as you’re breathing, it’s never too late to do some good.
Maya Angelou
ddcleve 