Rejoice in a new year full of promise!

Winter is a time of expectation. The ground waits for the new growth of spring to burst forth. The animals endure the cold perhaps not cognizant that a spring will come.

For me it is a time to rest in my accomplishments of the previous year and plan for the year ahead. It is a time to take stock of my priorities, whether I am being faithful to myself and my dreams. It is a time of decisions: are my goals in line with my priorities; are the people in my life supporting me and am I supporting them; what kind of relationships do I want to build and which ones do I let go?

The older I get, I guess the more selfish I have become. I have spent the majority of my life taking care of others and not reaching for my own dreams. Now that I have no such demands I find myself wondering what of myself I will leave behind.

The most immediate answer I can give to that is my music. As most artists would agree, there is something inside that shapes expression. My muse is the fact that we really only have our memories. Everything else can be taken away. When a moment etches itself in my mind I want to share its beauty, joy, sadness, love. I have been asked how I can write music with no formal training. I think the need for expression is innate in each of us. For me it is through music, or lyrics, to be more precise. When I sing my songs I am in the moment, that singular moment that etched itself in my mind. It is a way to remind myself of all that is beautiful in this life despite the difficulties, dismal prospects and struggles we all face from time to time.

I rejoice in the pain as much as the joy! It is the experience of it that I have learned to appreciate. It will all pass away soon enough. Revel in what we have right this minute!