I don’t really remember ever feeling so peaceful, happy, and optimistic on New Year’s Eve! It’s usually fraught with some kind of anxiety – am I having enough fun? Bla bla. Well, this year I was perfectly content to have no plans and treat myself to a restful day and evening. Of course, one thing that helps with that is having a fabulous lunch to look forward to on New Year’s Day and wanting to be fresh and well hydrated, bright eyed and bushy tailed for it!
What also helps is that I’m feeling that, after a few rather difficult years, my magic is finally back. It simply is. And if you’ve only met me during the past two years, then get ready! Things will get so much more fun in 2020 now that I’m finally back to being myself and being happy and sparkly. If you’ve known me longer and hung in there waiting for me to re-emerge you are very special to me and I can’t wait for all the fun we have ahead of us!
Though mostly what I feel is an energetic shift, there are good things that happened today to confirm it – the return of the magic. John texted me early in the morning with an idea for how I could sell art today. The last day of the year is fantastic for it, as I’ve just learned. I followed his advice and sold a very magical painting. I also continued to reach out to my favorite readers and sold another pre-release copy of Storms of Malhado. These are so special to me! Each one I sell is meaningful, a sign that I’m on the right track, that people love my writing and are looking forward to this new book.
What else? I saw an old man in Randall’s buying grapes for good luck. I was there later than I wanted to be out, on a last-minute errand. I hate last-minute errands, but the store and parking lot were full of last-minute shoppers such as myself and I found this to be comforting and nice. Grapes for good luck, cigarettes, Neosporin, a sandwich, whatever. People were getting that last item they needed to slide into the new decade either festively or seamlessly, and I was grateful we were all there. Ten years ago I lived in a town where it was scary and lonely and weird to go to the supermarket after dark. A town where the store would have been closed the evening of December 31st. Ten years ago I had no dog, didn’t paint, was clumsily writing the tenth draft of my first novel, and hadn’t met most of the wonderful friends I have today. Defining moments, interesting experiences, great adventures and close friendships still lay ahead and I didn’t even know it. I was sad over something and I felt old because society loves telling young women they are aging. A decade later I look the same – hydration is not overrated! – but I am much more authentically myself and feel young and hopeful. I’m curious and excited to see what this new decade has in store.
