Tag: NewYear

  • 2026

    I always looked forward to the New Year. It felt like a clean reset, a chance to begin again, to set fresh goals, to believe in infinite possibility.
    Now it’s 2026, and I can’t say it feels the same. I’m grateful to be here, truly, but the familiar spark is muted. The enthusiasm doesn’t arrive as easily.

    Cancer treatment has a way of taking ownership of time. Planning feels fragile, provisional, almost borrowed. Yet when I sit with that thought, I realize nothing has really changed since years passed. I have always only had the present moment.

    What feels different now is awareness. The sense that moments are numbered, that the once-infinite horizon has narrowed into something more finite, more defined. Yet, that too, is perception. The limit was always there…I just didn’t notice it. There were never more than moments. There have only ever been moments.

    I don’t know why bitterness visits me right now. I know others would long for the prognosis I’ve been given. I know this is a gift, and that gifts are not meant to be squandered. None of us should squander them.

    Yet still, it is hard. It is hard to live with pain, with uncertainty, with the constant effort to fill a void. Gratitude and bleakness can exist in the same breath…..and lately, they do.

  • Finding Meaning Through Random Encounters

    “Excuse me, what book is that?” A man pointed at the paperback tucked under my arm as I sipped my hot grande caramel macchiato and browsed through Moleskine journals.

    “Oh, it’s Infinite Possibilities,” I replied.

    “May I take a look?” he asked.

    “Certainly.” I said, handing it over.

    As he flipped through the pages, I couldn’t help but wonder about his intentions. I’m a regular at Barnes & Noble, but no one had ever approached me for a conversation before. Could this be one of those movie moments where a guy strikes up a chat, hoping to get a girl’s number? I doubted it—He must notice that I’m much older than he is, and I certainly wasn’t dressed to impress. Still, the thought lingered.

    It was just past 5:45 p.m., nearing the 6 pm closing time on New Year’s Eve.

    “Mike Dooley, I’ve never heard of him,” he said.

    “I think he was on Mel Robbins’ latest podcast,” I responded.

    I later realized I was wrong—it was a neuroscientist with the last name of Dotty, not Dooley, who had been on the episode.

    The young man, casually dressed in a blue sweater, button-down shirt, and slacks, seemed to know about Mel Robbins. He mentioned reading about her 5 Second Rule, and we quickly found common ground, exchanging titles of self-help books which lead to discussing our professions.

    At this point, I still wasn’t sure what his intentions were, but the conversation was pleasant and easy. He talked about building wealth with his wife, and they now had intentions to focus on giving back to others.

    “You know,” he said thoughtfully, “after you’ve amassed riches and achieved your desires, it’s all about giving back.”

    Interesting, I thought. Was this some sign, divine intervention? Could this be the serendipitous answer I’d been seeking? Maybe this was the direction I needed for 2025.

    “Contributions,” I said, feeling a spark of realization.

    “Exactly!” he replied.

    We ended our conversation with a warm exchange of “Happy New Year” and “Take care.” I returned to browsing the journals, still reflecting on the strange nature of our encounter. These unexpected moments often seem to appear when I’m actively seeking spiritual guidance

    As I waited in line at the register, I watched the man walk out the front entrance, empty-handed.

  • New Year

    The best time of the year is always the first month, like a first kiss or the first chapter of a book. The beginning fuels excitement and ushers hope for days ahead. My personal goals have been set and my plan to achieve them is now being executed. No, of course I won’t talk about them here. Well, at least…. not now. You’ll have to wait and hear about them once I achieve them. Live striving to find purpose.