And another year begins

Happy New Year!

Welcome to 2017. A few observations for the coming year seem to be in order.

In just a few days, the 115th Congress will convene in Washington, DC. The Republicans will be the majority party in both houses.

On the 20th of this month, Donald Trump will be inaugurated as the 45th President of the United States.

These events are changes. Change, we hear so often, is the only constant. There’s some truth to that. Looking at change and what we know about people and history, we can make some predictions for this year:

There will be more change. You’ll approve of some of it. You’ll disapprove of some changes and won’t care much about the rest. That’s okay. While we should all have things about which we care passionately, none of us can be passionate and effective about everything.

At least one person you know and love will do something that disappoints you. That’s okay. People aren’t perfect and while there are some things we simply shouldn’t tolerate (things that do you actual harm), that doesn’t mean a person who disappoints you doesn’t care about you. It simply means that person, like you, is human. He or she is guaranteed to make a mistake, say the wrong thing, fail to live up to your expectations or forget something important. If that person was perfect and made no mistakes at all, you’d get tired of being around him or her, anyway. Remember, you’re going to disappoint someone, too, so be a little patient.

The election of Donald Trump and the Republican majority in both houses of Congress isn’t going to make much of a real, practical difference in your life. If the elections had turned out 180 degrees differently, that wouldn’t have made much of a difference in your life, either. You, on the other hand, can make a profound difference in your life – if you choose to do so.

Someone is going to do something nice and unexpected for you this year. You should say “thank you” and mean it. Someone will try to do something nice and it may fall short. You should say “thank you” and mean it.

If you decide you’ve finally got this whole life thing completely figured out, life will punish you for that sort of hubris.

At various times this year, you’ll probably laugh, cry, smile, frown, exult, weep, feel triumphant and feel despair. Life’s like that. It’s important to remember the whole life experience can help you grow, even the hard parts.

2017 can be a great year, if you choose for it to be. It can be a wonderfully defining year for you and your family. That’s my overall goal for me and those I love and it’s what I wish for you and yours.