2014

Happy New Year! I know that I am not alone in saying that I'm glad that 2013 is over and have high hopes for 2014.  (Although 2013 was not as horrible as 2012 was.  For my family 2012 goes down as the worst year in the history of our history.  2013 made baby steps forward in the getting better department, but I could stand some giant positive leaps in 2014.)

Despite the bumps and lumps along the way in 2013, I found that when I emptied my "gratitude jar" it was full of positive things from 2013.  (Explanation:  My "jar" was simply that.  A jar that that I kept on my desk as of January 2013.  And when something, no matter how small or trivial it might have seemed at the time, came to mind as something I or my family was grateful for I wrote it down on a slip of paper along with the date and then put it in the jar.  On New Year's Eve I emptied it out and sat down with "my guys" and read each and every one out loud. As rough a year as we may have had, it made me realize how blessed we are.  (And this is a tradition that I plan to carry on for years to come.)  It probably would have been a good idea to open the jar and read a few whenever I was feeling down as well.  (But that's something I can try this year.  I'm not foolish enough to think that I won't have my down moments in 2014 even if it turns out to be the spectacular year that I'm hoping it will be.)

I encourage you all to try putting together a gratitude jar this year.  If nothing else, it make a great conversation piece at the year end.  And, hopefully, you will be surprised, as I was, at all the good that really goes on in our lives.

Wishing everyone who is kind enough to read this "boring blog" a very happy and healthy 2014.  May your gratitude jar be overflowing by the end of the year.







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