Happy New Year!

As I look ahead to 2007, I anticipate my youngest daughter giving birth to my ninth grandchild, and seventh grandson, in February; my oldest son graduating from Independent Duty Corpsman School, being promoted and entering the submarine service in February; my youngest son making a significant career step in early spring; my stepson and my daughter-in-law graduating from college in June; and my son-in-law graduating from college in December – six wonderful and significant milestones for the coming year.

With a large and active family, other milestones that are unplanned and unknown at this point will almost assuredly come to pass. It’s never dull around my Rice Krispies® family – things go Snap! Crackle! Pop! in our bowl all the time.

In addition, I will be one year closer to a so-well-deserved-it’s-hard-to-express-it retirement. Of course that goal, which is now close enough to see, surpasses all the other family milestones in significance. This time next year, I’ll be close enough to smell it; two years from now, I’ll be touching it if not grasping it.

I’ve never been fond of the idea of New Year’s resolutions because they seem too contrived. Nonetheless, this year I’ve made the Mother of All Resolutions. In keeping with the popular vernacular of the day, I’ve dubbed it “The Way Forward”. It was motivated in part by a realization that is captured by Ajahn Chah in “Still Forest Pool”:

“There are two kinds of suffering: the suffering that leads to more suffering and the suffering that leads to the end of suffering. If you are not willing to face the second kind of suffering, you will surely continue to experience the first.”

Because I can’t bear the thought of public humiliation, at least no more than I otherwise bring upon myself from time to time, I won’t reveal either the general scope or the gory details of my resolution here or elsewhere. Suffice it to say, sufficient suffering, of one kind or another, will be involved.

Because I can bear the thought of public approbation, I’ll most certainly reveal the Mother of All Resolutions if I’m successful in keeping it. If I’m not successful, the subject will never be mentioned again, here or elsewhere.

2007 will also bring the 5th anniversary of Danny’s death. I don’t know why anniversaries that end in “5” and “0” seem to have greater significant, but they’re almost always experienced as more noteworthy milestones. It’s hard to believe that it’s been five years. I miss you, Sir Dan.

With countless others, I hope and pray for better developments in world events. The world is filled with wars, rebellions, insurrections, oppression, torture, poverty, and disease and no single year will bring momentous advancements on all fronts. But, maybe, just maybe, one or two of these global challenges will truly move forward toward peace and well being for those of our fellow human beings who are caught in the snares that each of these challenges represent.

With that, I open my book on 2007.

Happy New Year to my family, friends and colleagues!
May the coming year be filled with peace and joy for each of you!