A good intention is like the seed of a tree whose fruit we do not know.
It’s become a personal tradition to rather than make a long list of resolutions to pick a word to live by for the year. Last New Year my word for the year was “courage.” Looking back I believe I did the word justice (to the point of perhaps overdoing it?) I put myself 
out of my comfort zone by making a new body of work, participating in the Art Harvest Studio Tour, completing a printmaking residency, traveling Scotland to walk with friends & then to Ireland solo to attend Craiccean a week-long bodhran (drum) camp on one of the Aran Islands. Then there were a series of health issues that had to be navigated that took a different type of courage. I am happy to report things are much better!
Ready to give courage a bit of a rest, my new word for 2020 popped into my head during last week’s yoga class when my teacher asked us to think about and intention for the New Year. That word is “acceptance” with my secondary word being “focus”. I find one word can have quite a few layers to it and I am eager to explore where these will take me.
Last night I read the following poem I wrote at a gathering of friends as a toast to the New Year. I am very optimistic for better times and wish all of you the best for 2020.
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Images by Alanna Pass
This is a reblog of a poem I wrote for New Year’s Eve last year when my blog was brand new and had few readers. I read it at a gathering of friends. We were all still reeling from the presidential election fallout. As the poem as it was read caused a hush in the room. Later, several friends told me how much it meant to them. Feel free to share this at your gathering on this New Year’s Eve as we hope for change in 2018. What better way to start the New Year than with poetry?
