"A" is the first letter of the English alphabet (here calligraphed on parchment and gilded by me some years ago), and the perfect way to start out a New Year -- from the beginning.
It's also the first letter of my first name, and so I felt compelled to write my wishes for you and for myself, to share out loud tomorrow night at dinner with Alejo and Juli, two musical and artistic friends from Colombia. They invited us to attend their Bay Area famed Colombian Festival of Little Lights, and bring our wishes for an auspicious New Year, so here are mine for them, you, my loved ones, and for me, too:
I hope you find many extra unexpected moments in your life to do what you must do and what you most desire
because one of the most precious gifts in life is our unique creativity that cannot be duplicated.*
I hope you let go of most of your major expectations, yet do your homework
because often in life we get good things that we don’t expect just when we don’t expect them.
I hope you opt for kindness first, then to increase your empathy, not just compassion, for others
because empathy means that you identify with and feel the joys and sorrows of others, not just guess about them or sympathize with the person.
I hope you find more energy to face fearsome entropy and turn your head toward a simpler, more organized life with “success” defined as you wish,
because otherwise chaos will reign.
I hope you listen well to others but first to your own heart, pursuing just who you want to be "for good", including what you want to enjoy
because life is short; the future exists only in our imaginations, and the past exists only in our memories; there is only right now.
I hope you have and will keep someone in your life to listen to you, and that you offer that to them in return
because being listened to is the keenest of pleasures, and listening is one great way to honor the other person and let them know that they are being heard.
I hope you have more music in your life
because music is a metaphor for life: eternally moving forward yet sometimes with dissonant harmonies that must be endured, respected, challenged, and finally transformed into assonant ones that please our ears and souls.
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*Since in 2025 my partner and I are involved in serious personal and home downsizing to live a more fulfilled, simpler life devoted to experiences rather than material goods, if you concur and need some suggestions, these are our suggested charities for holiday donations:
2. La Casa de Las Madres (San Francisco, women and children’s domestic violence shelter)
3. NorCal Planned Parenthood where Ann now volunteers as a patient escort
4, The SF Animal Control Center for cats and dogs where Ann has volunteered
5. SF Meals on Wheels for seniors and homebound:
6. Women for Women International: Therapy program and hygiene items for sexually abused, raped and displaced women in the Ukraine war:
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