and learning to let go of pesky annoyances. And surrounding myself with genuine people. People who genuinely care about your well-being and take the time to check in with you…regardless of their busy schedule. People who really want to interact with you, not just because no one else is around. People who put themselves in others’ shoes and have compassion and understanding. People who give more than take and appreciate and know your worth and time. This world we live in, so consumed with favorites, popularity, and the next big thing that we are losing sight of authenticity. A sense of community, a shared experience. Kids growing up to be tamed by apps on smartphones. I see it all around me, people on their phones at get-togethers. This has become the norm. This is what the children will inherit. A world divided: the have and have nots made abundantly wider by the advent of smartphones.

Let’s go back to the days where kids run in the field of wildflowers, play kings and queens and have adventures in their own backyard instead of the virtual world.

Good bye 2016, you have been by far the hardest year, but with that the realization that it too shall pass and it did. And so another year begins. To new adventures and reconnecting with old friends! To learning spanish. To moments of clarity and joy.