A New Year

I trust you had a reasonable end-of-year break. Almost certainly, some of you were bogged down, snowed in, or missed flights. I hope the frustration was tempered by a small voice reminding you that you were doing your best; you were making the effort to be with someone special, to make them happy. ⁠
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I was lucky enough to spend Christmas eve and day, and the last two nights of Hanukkah with my grown children. And they cooked! My daughter made what I hope will become one of the official Christmas dinners: brisket and latkes! The whole affair was very low-key; the only time I went outside was to fetch more firewood from the garden.⁠
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So that was us. How are you faring? What do you seek from 2023? ⁠
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It has been a demanding year, a bit of a struggle to stay safe and healthy and solvent. But you’ve done it! Bravo! And so, you’re entitled to take a moment to look inward and see what you need. Imagine what might be good for you in the year ahead.⁠
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One boon of 2022 was journaling. I was never disciplined to write daily before this year. I still don’t write every day, but I am getting better. By ‘better,’ I mean write most days, and don’t beat myself up if I don’t. I found the right journal for me: Mark’s EDit day per page. The pages are small enough that I have to think about what I want to remember: the stuff that frustrates me when I can’t recall. It can be as intimate as you want or simply reportage. Remember: “I’m doing this for me!”⁠
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You’ve taken care of your loved ones, your friends and family. Now take care of yourself. You deserve nice things, tangible and intangible.⁠