As most of us enter this holiday weekend with plans for parties or family get-togethers to celebrate the ushering in of 2007, I hope that everyone here has a very safe and happy New Year. And don’t forget to take a minute or two to count all of the blessings of 2006. In the excitement of a brand new year, so many of us forget to reflect on those wonderful moments that we have been gifted with during the past 365 days. Even in the midst of hard times, there is usually something that we can look back on that makes us laugh or cry or fills us with determination to make the coming year a better one. Something that we learned from, overcame, or that made us stronger.

I know that I don’t always remember all of the little things that have occurred. But I usually try to do one small thing to acknowledge the shining moments of the year gone by. During my deadline crunch of a few months ago, I discovered that I am going to be an aunt again. It was a wonderful surprise, as it had been eight years since my sister gave birth to my niece and she had more or less resigned herself to having only the one child. At the time, I acknowledged the good news, but I was so buried in trying to get my manuscript done that I didn’t have a chance to give it the attention it deserved. So this evening, I purchased a baby department gift card from Toys R Us to give to my sister as a special gift on New Year’s Day in celebration of the new addition that we will be welcoming to the family sometime in March.

May you have your share of shiny moments to celebrate in the days ahead. And may all of your hopes and dreams for 2007 come true!