New Beginnings

This New Year crept in quietly.  In years past I have gathered with friends and family to loudly greet the new year with cheers, hugs and kisses and champagne toasts.  This year kept me sidelined on the couch nursing a cold.  However, as I looked around at my cozy situation, I did not feel sad.  There we were, all three of us, Kali, Bella and I curled up on the sofa, in front of a roaring fire basking in the lights of the Christmas tree.
I was reminded of a New Years Eve I spent with a group of friends in a hut on the Long Trail many years ago.  We warmed bread on the wood stove and shared a simple meal.  The next morning we cross country skied through the woods in the freshly fallen snow.  It is the quiet new years that stand out in my memory.

Today, I set up my alter with photos of my loved ones, lit candles, meditated, played my harmonium and sang.  Today I am at peace.

I invite you to take a moment and honor your New Year, your new beginning.

May your heart be open.  May you be at peace.

Shanti

Janet