A New Year

Here we are: 2009.  While I don’t think the new year should be the only time we resolve to live our lives a little better, there is for me a sense of starting over, or starting something new on the first day of the year.  I’m not heading into any big changes myself – no defined grad school or travel plans, no change in employment… my life is pretty linear at the moment.  So for me, a new year’s resolution is not a resolution to bring about any drastic change.  Instead, I resolve to be a little more gracious, a little more thankful every day for all the good in my life.  I resolve to be more content and less anxious about “the next big thing,” but also to seek out opportunities for learning and enriching my life with more education, art, community.  The cold, snowy end of 2008 in Seattle had me thinking a lot about the homeless, and several shootings involving teenagers down the street from my apartment has had me thinking about the health of my neighborhood – I resolve to try and not see people as abstract “issues,” but to be more involved in looking for concrete ways to make my neighborhood and city a better, safer place to live.  Those are just some of my thoughts on this blustery January 1.  What are your resolutions for the new year?