Some people start the New Year greyly. They don’t mean to be depressing, but they count up the number of sad things the last year held: the folks who passed away on into the Bigger Life Beyond; and the many losses and crosses and trials experienced during the three hundred and sixty five past days.They call it “taking things seriously.” And if one rushes in on their meditations by exclaiming “Happy New Year and many of them to you!”, they’ll reply with a drawn look on their faces and pulled-down corners to their mouths, “Ah! No one can tell what this year may bring- none of us poor humans. That is hidden from our eyes!” as if troubles and trials were being specifically arranged for the world generally, the only bright spot being that people will remain in ignorance until the hurricane of devastation swept over them. How very ungrateful it seems, doesn’t it? Just get away by yourself for five minutes and look at life from the other aspect. Go over, one by one (only they are too many to remember, as a rule), the scores of joy-plots which the old year held. List up in your mind the number of friends who came back to you from the land of sickness or the gates of death. Ponder on your own individual bits of blessings- the cheery days and the healthful days, and the successful days and the days of strength after weakness or comfort after heart-pain. You’ll find a good many, won’t you? You’ll live again, maybe, some hour when hope’s sun seemed to set and to leave you wandering in a shadow world of doubt- until a hand led you out of the dusk and showed you a golden glow of “all things well” on the top of the hill. There were care-days followed by relief; rough roads which led to pastureland; and frets and worries which fled helter-skelter down the mist-vale when you were plucky enough to drive them from you. And the New Year, with its white fair stretch of beauty, won’t daunt you then. You’ll wish “Happy New Years” to each and every one. You’ll look forward to all that’s bright, all thats courageous and strong and lovely, and you won’t fear the “hidden” things of the future, for gold as well as drab is woven through the coming days. There is no flippancy in giving the shy New Year a smile of welcome- nay, in most cases it merely shows gratitude to one who guided one’s feet so surely along the year gone by. Lillian Gard, 1919.
Create your own Brocante Life Book, plan Christmas, set up routines and rituals or live life the BrocanteHome way with my guided workbooks and planners.
Oh lovely, lovely Oprah. Trust her to come up with an appealing, meaningful alternative to the Gratitude Journal. In her “What I Know For Sure” column this month she tells us that this year she will not be keeping a gratitude journal,…
Eat avocado and black pepper speckled cream cheese on grainy seedy toast and drink peppermint tea. Plant sweetcorn and marigolds and beans. Write down five reasons to be grateful and pin to bathroom mirror. Scan vintage flash cards. Buy pale green ink…
Gosh how a month swooshes by when you are in the kid leather soft glove of a book by Barbara Pym! A Glass of Blessings was the first of the twelve books in my Domestic Fiction 2010 Read-Along and just as I…
How do you earn a life going onbehind yellow windows, writing at nightthe latin names of plants for a gardenopening the front door to a wet dog. Those who love you, forgive you, clearlywith steaming casseroles and red wine.Its the same film…
Though the majority of mini disasters in my life are of my own making, occasionally things happen I could neither predict, nor unhappen. And so it was yesterday, when I sent out a Vintage Halloween post six months before it was due…
*** Oh I know!! Billions of you are emailing me to ask what I am playing at, and I agree: Enough already! So: everytime you click onto BrocanteHome something has changed. One day the blog is on the left and the next…
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Thanks you Alison. I really, REALLY needed to read this today. Love, Sally
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Thanks you Alison. I really, REALLY needed to read this today. Love, Sally
After experiencing 2010 as one of the most difficult and painful years of my life, this is a post that touched my heart. Thank you.
You are welcome Lorrie. Here's hoping 2011 brings only good things to your door.x