I’m sitting at the computer with a finger’s worth of the good stuff in one of my favorite rocks glasses, trying to think of something profound to share before the last 25 minutes of this year are done. I’m finding it difficult to write tonight… I mean, not even a ramble? Maybe I’m just tired.

I open my calendar and flip through the past twelve months. They’ve been full of memories… short trips taken, music made and heard, appointments, birthdays acknowledged, and deadlines met. It’s been a much better year than 2024 was… or 2023 or 2022, for that matter. I felt healthier. Stronger. More comfortable in my own skin and with making decisions for myself and no one else. And I took some risks. Some of them paid off, and others… well, I’m still waiting to see what happens.

This bourbon burns a little going down, but that’s okay. Maybe it’ll help me sleep.

I turn the calendar to January 2026 and run my hand across the page. It’s empty, except for a few appointments and a short trip written in pencil. A clean slate, for the most part. I don’t much believe in the “new year’s resolution” thing – my feeling is, why can’t you resolve to start (or stop) something on any day of the year? Why is it such a big deal to have this all ready to go on January 1?

January isn’t one of my favorite months – lots of loss has happened there in the past, and those memories, coupled with the cold temperatures and the need to up the vitamin D to help avoid seasonal affective disorder, make for a challenging start to the year. And all the more reason NOT to make resolutions.

But there’s something about the prospect of 2026 that makes me hopeful. According to Chinese horoscopes, 2025 was the year of the snake, with a theme of shedding that which no longer serves you. 2026 is the year of the horse, which focuses on energy, optimism, fresh start, and opportunity. This is also a significant year for me, since I was born in a “horse” year.

So, if I have to set some resolutions before midnight, here’s what they’d be:

I am thankful for the lessons I’ve learned over the past few years. They have given me a new sense of direction and have helped me to “shed” some things (and people) who no longer serve in a positive light. I feel happier, freer, and a little more energetic (at least most days). So, for 2026, I plan to continue focusing on those things (and people) who only bring positive energy – and also to acknowledge but not engage with that which doesn’t.

I plan to explore more. Take trips to new places. Step outside my comfort zone. Use that damn passport – a book full of empty pages just waiting to be stamped. I haven’t been anywhere outside this land mass since 2006. I never really had a burning desire to go anywhere specific, and now, I do. I want to hear bagpipes and see rolling hills and quaint little seaside towns. Talk with the locals. Gather a bouquet of thistle and wildflowers. Witness a sunrise and sunset in a Scottish town where my ancestors lived.

I will let go of the resistance to the book that’s been hiding in my thoughts and file folders for years now and WRITE IT. It’s my story, and I need to tell it, despite how others may react.

I want to try my hand at songwriting as well. All these lyrics come to me out of the blue (usually while in the shower), and I never do anything with them. There’s a good chance I may have let a memorable one go unwritten. I’m going to get some of those soap crayons for kids, so I can write them down from now on.

I want to maintain healthy habits – but not to the point I make myself stressed. I think I’ve done well to be approaching 60, looking and feeling as good as I do. I recently purchased a pair of roller skates so I can get back to the rink and hope to revisit golf when the weather improves. Told a friend I’d go to her exercise/dance class. Wish I could find another belly dancing class… yes, I started learning about twelve years ago.

Most importantly, I want to live and love authentically. Fiercely. Unapologetically. Out loud. If you had asked me three years ago, “What do you want?” – the question that some find so easy to answer – I found it impossible to verbalize because I had no idea what it was. It took watching my father come to terms with the last few weeks left of his life to make me see the importance of experiencing mine every day to its fullest. Don’t be afraid to express how you feel about something or someone – as long as it’s honest and authentic. If there’s a vision or a dream that takes up space in your mind and heart, then pay attention to it and pursue it with all your might, even if it never quite comes to fruition.

As I write this, I hear fireworks. And sirens. It’s 12:38am… January 1.

My first “ramble” for the New Year.

Happy 2026. Giddy-up.