But what I am really looking forward to is tomorrow morning. A fresh layer of snow will hopefully have covered those thousands of tracks made the previous day and, as I set out through the woods at 8 o’clock in the morning, I will be able to witness one of those miraculous sunrises that causes the color of the world around me to change from ice blue to warm pink.
That will be a moment to reflect on this past year, the joys, the heartbreaks, the surprises, the predictabilities, the mistakes, the insights, the tough decisions, the easy ones – and to decide that it is all part of life. As long as I can feel confident that my intentions were good and that the intentions of those around me were as well, then perhaps I can leave the fretting behind. After which I will look ahead. Towards Christmas, family dinners, and a celebration of those we loved who are no longer with us, so that I can enter the new year assured that it will once again be like one of those sleigh rides – full of bumps, unexpected turns, sheer glee and shared fun.
