New Year's Day is a time when we reflect over the past and plan for the coming year. I no longer make formal resolutions, but I always hope to improve my life.
Rather than focusing on just my life, I've been thinking about my extended family today. My sisters and some of their daughters have gone through an experience that left them distant. I've been trying to move them back together over the past two years, and I'm at the point where the entire situation frustrates the hell out of me. I played a role in what took place, and had I not been so sure I knew what was right, it might not have gotten out of hand. Unfortunately, nothing I've had to say to them has helped to resolve the situation. Some of them are still holed up in their corners, casting blame and refusing to realize that we all need to set this aside and come together as a family.
I don't frequently take stands on issues. I often see both sides of an issue and sit on the fence trying to weigh the pros and cons. The night we fell apart, I was SO sure that I knew what was right, but hindsight tells me if I had kept my own counsel, and let my sister do what she wanted to do, we might not stand where we are today. So my heart is incredibly heavy as we start this year.
My wishes for my family mirror my wishes for my country and for the world, as we start the New Year. I hope that ego ceases to reign, and that we can all come together in peace and harmony. I hope that petty bickering and a need for power are set aside as we try to create a happy, healthy world.
For my friends on the Internet, I wish you health and prosperity, joy, and abiding peace in 2004. For my family, I love each of you, and I hope this will be the year we set our differences aside and recreate the strength and support of our family.