This is the first week of 2022. Jean and I have now been at Kirkwood by the River, our retirement community, for two-and-a-half years. My last major cancer treatment procedure, on my chest and stomach, is two years behind me now. I am looking at each day as a gift from God, some extra time to enjoy the world and the people around me. Gratitude is a big part of life now.
The last couple years have brought the loss of several close friends, and I think about those people a lot. We each have a smaller circle of friends who are entrusted with our deepest level of confidence. These are the people we call and talk with when we have troubles or important decisions. It is a shock when one of them dies and is no longer a physical part our life. The best response I have found is to thank God that we had them with us for so long. It is said that deep grief is a reminder that there has been deep love. Thanks to God for the wonderful people we meet in our lives.
I have moved most of my computer time from an android tablet back to a chromebook. I have been wondering why in recent months I have not been writing as much as I used to write. This includes emails, blog posts, and journaling. I finally realized one factor is that the tablet had no physical keyboard. When the keyboard is in front of me all the time, I can respond easily to the good impulses to write. Simple but profound.
These are a few of the things on my mind as the new year begins. I hope to be more active on the blog in 2022. I wish you a happy and peaceful new year.