The End Of December, As We Know It

Can you feel it? It may not be the apocalypse or the Big One, but something has shifted. We Riouxs have weathered the storms of 2012, and as this tantrum of a year comes to a heaving, sagging, sodden end we are looking some kind of wonderful change right in the eye. We're not blinking, or laughing. We're going to win this stare down. 2013 is a year of promise. It's a year of fulfilling our potential, of refusing to settle for just surviving, for just scraping by. This year E will turn five and conquer kindergarden. He will be a fearless leader, a fervent learner, a fierce friend. This year J will sell his writing and earn the recognition he has never sought but always deserved. This year M will string together sentences and stop hearts. This year J will become the teacher and healer she was meant to be. This year the Riouxs will witness weddings, whisper about elopements and celebrate the triumph of love over all. We will welcome babies and offer cups of coffee and kindness to their wide-eyed, newly wearied parents. We can't wait. We're living for this. We're choosing to embrace it all. Happy New Year, everyone. May this be the one that sparkles.