Driving into work this morning, I was listening to Christmas music. Don’t scoff or groan. I switched it on last week and found I am less stressed by the rush hour traffic, so it has its benefits.

Even though we aren’t at the actual end of the year, I have started on my Christmas letter and began planning get-togethers, menus and which day I can get the tree up and decorated. I’m feeling good about going into Holiday Season 2017. After all, I cooked Thanksgiving dinner and no one got sick or died, so things are looking up for me!

Of course fresh from our cruise, I am thankful for the bountiful people that make up my family – biological, in-law and outlaw! This picture above was one I took on an early morning excursion – a photography excursion. Capturing this sunrise over the Bay of Fundy, New Brunswick, Canada, was worth getting up at ‘oh-dark-thirty’ as my retired Army friend would say.

It occurred to me that we are approaching the sunset of 2017 and the sunrise of 2018. What have I learned about this year? What can I take away from this year of news onslaughts?

The most important is that in this year of continued divisiveness, my family, whose politics can cover the spectrum has been able to NOT speak of politics when gathered. We might bring up a bill before the state legislature because our view of state politics is a less volatile topic. Somehow in the State of Illinois the problems are not exclusive to any one party but their three year stint of receiving paychecks without a budget as the State’s finances grew dire, frustrated every taxpayer (and no doubt a voter as well) . This didn’t suppress my urge to bitch slap all of them, but I digress.

It may be Polyanna of me, but for 2018, I hope to see a move toward cohesiveness as the country begins to tire of chaos and clamor for cooperation and peace. Peace at home and overseas. I know it’s too much to ask for, but I will ask anyway.

I hope the sunset of 2017 keeps more of my favorite actors off the “In Memoriam” section of the paper or news magazines. I’m still mourning the death of David Cassidy – just as I was coming out my sadness that Davey Jones died a few years ago. Hey! Don’t judge me, I take my Tiger Beat crushes seriously. They were among my first, but just to ease my mind, can someone place bubble wrap around Donny Osmond before it’s too late?

For the sunrise of 2018 besides world peace, I’d like to continue those family gatherings, stretch myself in creative ways be it photography, painting or writing. I hope to be open to all the things going on around me and to be less self-centered, or at least be more aware of it so I change gears quickly.

As always, when I speak of sunrises and such, I am reminded of the wise words of that song from Fiddler on the Roof – swiftly flow the years!