Free At Last, Yes, Free At Last!!

And with apologies to the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, I can say with deep feeling, " . . . thank God Almighty, I am free at last!"  Yes, as of 12:01 AM, Januay 1, I have begun a new life, and it feels wonderful in many ways and very strange in others.  For nearly 30 years I have worked with and been involved in the lives of some wonderful people, and now that phase of my life is over.  Right along with the new year comes my new life.  It involves a new location -- can't afford to stay in Southern California anymore -- and some new friends, finding a new church, getting to know my new neighbors, setting up relationships with a new bank, getting new license plates for our cars, a new driver's license, and on and on it goes.  2013 represents lots of newness in my life.

But actually, new beginnings never get old.  Those of us who read and review lots of romance writings know that authors are always bringing in new beginnings. For many it is the new location, a new job that takes one of the characters out of harms way or puts a bad love affair or marriage behind them.  For others it represents a second chance to find deep and authentic wholeness amid the ashes of a crashed relationship.  In all cases, it is the new beginning that we all sometimes covet.

Each year we have that opportunity--a chance to try once more to get a grip on life in a new and meaningful way, to do better with relationships, to re-connect with those who have wandered away or from whom we have become estranged.  It is a time for reordering priorities, getting a grip on what is really important and setting aside the trivia that tends to overwhelm when we are least looking.  And most of all, 2013 represents another new beginning in which we can take advantage of all that comes our way--all that is positive and character-building, all that makes us better people, all that stimulates us to never stop growing within ourselves and in our connections to others.

So, Happy 2013 to all my followers and all who stop by here on their wanderings on the Information Super-highway.  May your days be filled with that sense of life well lived, and may the blessings of a prosperous life be evident in as many ways as possible.