To all friends near and far, new and old. I am grateful for another year with such good friends, grateful for my cousin Barb and her intrepid spirit, serving in the Peace Corps far from home, to my friends who keep small bookstores going, living on the most minute of salaries to keep the living words of books alive, to my husband, for caring for me with all my ups and downs, to all men and women in uniform who are on our streets or on streets in remote countries, to my family, my granddaughter, the more people I name, the more I know I’m overlooking, so forgive me for not mentioning you: you are in my heart even if not on my forgetful lips.
What I would like less of in the year to come: war, mean-spiritedness, religious zealotry, political zealotry, disrespect, homelessness, worrying about making it to the next paycheck or the next shelter to find a meal, lies about how much radiation came out of Fukushima, lies about people who can’t find work, lies about pollution, poverty, God, women, men, children, dogs, cows…
What I would like more of: peace, peacefulness, play, playfulness, homes, jobs, a time not to work, a time not to be online, time with friends, more time with friends, did I say peace?