For the New Year…

Reflection

Tis the few days before 2022, and here I sit reflecting on the past year as many of us tend to do. What happened? Where did it go?

Although there was lots of illness, fear, divisiveness and uncertainty, there also was lots of good seen in our communities with people reaching out to one another. I marveled as I watched the Wreath Across America parade of vehicles pass through town carrying thousands of wreaths made by volunteers in Northern Maine to Arlington National Cementery.

However, although we do not want to wish our lives away, it is probably best that we say “so long” to 2021! With the world in turmoil, I wonder did I make a positive difference to encourage hope and a brighter future? A year ago, deciding on writing and publishing children’s stories was not on my radar screen. However, as the pandemic continued to rage, I thought about the children caught up in the midst of the ongoing tribulation. How were they handling the crisis? How would they come out of it as they looked at the future?

For little ones, all they knew was a masked existence. Was there something I could do to use this different era of our lives wisely and creatively? My thoughts turned to my horse, the one and only SandyBoy and his life adventures. Perhaps, together we could share some life lessons for children, with the encouragement of others, I began my writing journey!

Blessings often appear just as needed… a successful author friend, a friend who is an awesome artist, a publisher, a website designer, plus barn friend encouragers!! The SandyBoy Adventure Series was hatched! Difficult times can often bring out unknown possibilities in our lives. The first two adventure books were written and both published in 2021. The messages from SandyBoy about meeting life’s challenges in a positive way and learning how others care about us have been well received as children enjoy reading the stories over and over.

As we take a peek into the year ahead, I have a feeling that SandyBoy has so enjoyed writing his first adventures that there may be one or two ahead of us in the coming year. Stay tuned for announcements of new stories as we move through the New Year!

Everyone has the opportunity to explore new avenues of growth. What might be your opportunity? Let’s all commit to making 2022 a very positive and memorable year for everyone!