We measure a year in months and milestones
Birthdays and other anniversaries
The goals achieved, honours received
And various victories.
These things we dream of, yearn for, live towards
The dates forecast in calendars
And marked off by celebrations
Of our lives.
I wish you all that and more.
But when I wish you a happy new year
I know there may also be losses
And challenges and dirty dishes
Because this is life.
And so I wish you:
**
Laughter
For when things turn out crazy
Faith
On days of loss or disappointment
Wisdom
In times of uncomfortable change
Delight
In the small things, not just the big ones
Gratitude
For the gifts you have and will receive
Hope
For tomorrow and the morrow after
Health
To do the things you most enjoy
Peace
In the fact of your humanity.
**
Dedicated to my Family, with love.
**PHOTOS COPYRIGHT OF HAMLIN GRANGE**
Cynthia Reyes 
Oh Cynthia, how do you do that? How do you get right down to the heart of the matter, to what really counts, to stay with that feeling and give it all out again as a gift? You are so generous with your feelings. Through good times and bad, you have truly been reminded of what really matters and what keeps heart and soul in good shape. I think I know those things too, but I can be like a little Butterfly at times, trying to distract myself from pain with senseless things. One of the hardest things to do is to live in the moment and value what we have. Your words have pulled me up short, like a really good friend tugging at my apron and saying, “Karen, these are the things that matter”.
I wish you everything that you have included in this fabulous post- only in HUGE amounts, so that it all spills out and fills your heart and home.
With every good wish to you and your family,
Karen.
P.S -I love your dogs, especially the cute white one!
Hey, Karen:
I love those dogs too. the white one was rescued by my daughter, despite our dire warnings of all the headaches and heartaches she was taking on. She kept faith with him and loved him back to health and trust.
Now we are blessed with his presence and that of the little brown one, who is the cutest and most intelligent doggie I’ve ever met.
Thanks for the wonderful response to my poem.
Some people seem born wise. I had to learn a little wisdom through some very hard times. And I am still learning.
Karen, your generous responses to my blog posts are a real gift to me.
Happy new year to you.
Beautiful!
Thank you! Happy new year.
You have a unique and beautiful gift for expression Cynthia. Both you and Hamlyn – such glorious photos, another great talent – richly deserve a calmer year in 2015, but, whatever comes, I know it will be handled with love and gentle strength. Because you are an extraordinary person.
How kind of you to say this, Valerie.
I hope you are right!
Best wishes for 2015 to you and Chris and family.
Are you again growing watercress in your sunroom this winter? I was thrilled to see that.
Dear Cynthia,
May all the ‘dirty dishes’ come from special times spent with family and friends – old and new. Wishing you and yours all the best of joy, good health and love for the year(s)ahead xo.
What a lovely wish and I am thankful for it.
Happy new year to you and yours.
Aggie smiles and touches peace.
I am glad.
Delight~In the small things, not just the big ones~
What a beautiful and “big” reminder, desr Cynthia.
Thanks for sharing and all the very best for the new year ahead ⭐
Aquileana 😀
Thank you, Aquileana. and my best wishes to you.
Beautifully written Cynthia!! love all your photos, the chocolate cake looks delicious!! 🙂 Happy New Year to you and your family!!!
And to you, Michael!
I know you’re a great baker, so that cake would catch your eye. You may be the only woodworker-baker I know!
A wonderful New Year to you!
Thank you. And to you and yours.
Thank you, Cynthia, for that beautiful sharing. Those words are inspirational … 🙂 Lovely accompanying photos too. Yes, we have come to the end of another year and I’d like to take this opportunity to wish you and your family God’s abundant blessings and best wishes for 2015. Love, Iris.
Thank you, Iris, and for the wisdom you put into the world through your poetry. I look forward to reading much more of it in 2015, and wish you and your loved ones God’s grace and peace.
That is beautifully said and illustrated. I wish all these things to you too Cynthia.
I love that little white dog. What a cutey.
Happy New Year.
Thank you, Chloris.
Happy New Year.
How wonderful this is, Cynthia. This is more than a poem, it is a prayer that deserves to be learnt by heart and repeated every day by us all. Hamlin’s photographs are beautiful and fit the poem so well.
May you and your family and friends have a healthier, happier and more satisfying year in 2015 and may God go with you all.
With love, Clare x
Thank you very much, Clare.
Wishing you and your family the same.
I also hope you’re getting some rest.
Any woman who racked up 11-thousand miles of driving in three months deserves a bit of rest.
Take good care of yourself.
Thank-you! I am much rested and haven’t had to do much driving either. Taking Mum to the hospital for a check-up tomorrow and then shopping with her on Wednesday is all I have to do before new year.
That’s good to hear, Clare.
Thank you Cynthia, and the same to you!
And thank you.
Knowing you, perhaps I should say “many happy trails”?
That would work!
Beautiful view into your home and family, Cynthia!
Thank you, Lavinia.
Best wishes for 2015.
Oh Cynthia … you are such a special person. What beautiful words and wisdom you have. May 2015 be a wonderful year for you and your family …
Cynthia & Hamlin — I wish you both unendurable pleasure infinitely prolonged.
Gee whiz, Tim – sounds somewhat exhausting at my advanced age.
But in case it’s not, I wish you the same.
Cynthia, these are gorgeous pictures and inspiring words you’ve shared with us. I’m 80% through your book and loving it. You inspire me to be courageous and gracious.
Blessings for 2015 ~ Wendy ❀
I’m glad you are enjoying the book, and thank you for reading it, Wendy.
What a kind thing to say.
Wishing you a wonderful 2015.
Abundant blessings to you in the new year. Thanks for the kind words ishes. Blessings, lydia
Cynthia, I couldn’t have anything better than what you’ve described wished for me. Thank you and please thank Hamlin, (may I use his first name?); he is really an excellent photographer and brings your thoughts and words to even brighter life.
I am buried under mounds of work – yes, still – but wanted to stop by real quick and wish you and yours everything you wish for yourselves in 2015.
Cheers!
Jeanne
I have nominated your blog for a Liebster Award. If you accept, please answer the questions on my post and nominate 5 other people. (I think this is just all in good fun and you may have more than 1000 followers, but you are one of my favorites!)
Beautiful thoughts and wishes. Beautiful family!
Thank you!
I’m wishing you and your loved ones a happy new year.
Cynthia, these are the precious gifts that make life worth living. Thank you so much for your presence in our blogging community. I’ve very much enjoyed all my visits here during 2014 and now looking forward to many more visits in 2015. The photographs are outstanding and make your generous words even more poignant. Happy New Year to you and yours, lovely lady. ❤
Such a lovely post and lovely sentiments, Cynthia! Thank you for your wishes for a Happy New Year and I wish the same for you! I really appreciate your visits and comments on my blog; I’m honored that you like my blog and are impressed with it. 🙂 I apologize for my delayed response; I wanted to respond to you by e-mail a few weeks ago, but couldn’t find your e-mail address. You also have a beautiful blog; I’m following you by mail subscription now.
Best wishes to you and all your loved ones for 2015 Cynthia!
Hugs,
Denise
You are most welcome, Denise. I’m thankful that you have visited my blog.
As you know, I enjoy my many visits to your blog too. House at Forest Manor is a lovely blog, and you are a design diva/domestic goddess of the first rank!
My best for 2015.
Cynthia, these are such beautiful photos and blessings. Thank you.
You’re most welcome, Carol.
Just lovely Cynthia! Thank you for sharing. Happy New Year!
Thank you. A happy new year to you and yours, Anne. Keep writing!
A very nice dedication to your family filled with all the attributes required for a realistically Happy New Year. I enjoyed your pictures which cleverly illustrated your story. Hope you have a great 2015!
Thank you for this lovely response. Wishing you a rewarding 2015, with lots of good health.
such wonderful and incredible post – excellent words and introduction!
Thank you, Mihran. My best wishes to you.
Beautiful thoughts!
Glad you like! Best to you.
Lovely sentiments, Thanks
Lovely post!
Reblogged this on Cynthia Reyes and commented:
From my heart.
Amen to that!
Happy New Year and may all your floral arrangements be beautiful!
Wishing you a very good year too
A lovely New Year’s message focused on the things that matter . . . .A wonderful year to you too. I have been totally absent from my WordPress blog for ages and miss the wonderful people such as you whom I’ve met on there, but all for the good.
A few months back, I think you emailed me (but perhaps it was some other kind of message and I can’t remember) after we had chatted about my having gone into real estate. You mentioned the possibility of featuring a special listing, if I had one, I believe you said on your website. Since I lost track of your proper contact info, please email me back at lwhicher@rogers.com if you might still be interested in doing that. I’ll let you know more about the listing I have in mind, and you can decide if it’s something you’d be interested in.
All the very best!
Leslie
This is a beautiful post!
And I love the photo of your little dog…so joyful! Is he/she a Maltese?
He’s a Havanese (as in Havana, Cuba). Never knew there was such a breed till our daughter rescued him some years ago.
Thanks very much for visiting my blog and for commenting, Grace. Happy new year and best of wishes with your editorial role.
He is adorable!
Thank you for your wish, and thanks for visiting my blog too. I’m glad I found yours. 🙂
This one stands the test of time! Thanks for the wishes–and I hope they bounce right back to you, Cynthia!
Wishing you and your family peace and good health in the new year, Cynthia. Our neighbors have a Havanese and I’m in love with it! So much personality.
Indeed, as KerryCan says above, all these thoughts and hopes and family photos stand the test of time.:) Havanese! Friends brought back two pups from Cuba and call them Cubanistas. Both make me smile. Happy New Year, Cynthia.
Thank you for all these wonderful wishes Cynthia and I wish the same for you.
You are an awesome woman with inspiring words. Thank you and the same back to you: double. ❤
What a lovely uplifting post. Happy New Year to you and yours Cynthia.
Happy New Year Cynthia!
Beautiful post with marvelous photos. Happy New Year to you as well and thanks for visiting my site.
Cheers,
Steve
Thanks for the lovely wishes Cynthia. Wishing you a very Happy New Year. 🙂
Thank you. Same here. I’ve been reading P.S. I Forgive You and finding it a good read. Congrats!
Oh, I’m flattered. Thank you so much. 🙂
Love it. Blessings to both you and Hamlin, dear Cynthia! 🙂 Happy 2017.
A beautiful post of new year’s wishes, Cynthia. Just lovely. Thank you 🙂
Cheers to all New Years
Cynthia, may your 2017 be full of good things, and we know that the not-so-good are always manageable. Love, Aggie & Lou
Ah bless you. Thank you for that. Those are lovely wishes. 🙂 here’s hoping and back at you too. Awesome stuff. May your 2017 shiny and glorious!
Cheers
MTM