A New Year opens up like the budding of a new blossom. Some blossoms are filled with a sweet fragrance. Some blossoms have large, colorful petals. Some blossoms unfurl with spots, scars from pest-infested days. And some blossoms open quickly, announcing their presence to the world, then suddenly the petals fall off in rapid succession. The memory of the flower is gone.      We cannot predict how the New Year will unfold anymore than we can predict … Continue reading →