And Spaw said better than I could what I have been thinking.

Today marks the beginning of another journey around the sun for me. My son and his girlfriend drove over from Raleigh this morning, took me out to brunch and stayed for a good long visit.

It has been a long time since I had time for a life. A recent job change to a less stressful work culture environment, colleagues who actually do the same work and therefore understand and support one another, much shorter commute and fewer hours. Several years of fretting about my adolescent son, who is turning out to be just fine - caring, responsible, thinking - and the gentling and acceptance of grief and age related transitions in extended family and family of origin offer real hope that this next trip around the sun may allow for more "breathing room" than have the last several.

For most of us here, somewhat older and hopefully a little wiser, the holiday season is a mixed bag - a time to remember, miss and celebrate those we love, living and dead, a time to practice mindful acceptance. And more now than when we were younger, an opportunity to experience deep and conscious thankfulness in a way that we didn't have the life experience to do when we were younger.

I could not ask for better traveling companions. I am grateful to all.

Janie