” Life can only be understood backwards,

but it must be lived forwards.”

Søren Kierkegaard

And just like that, we’ve slipped through the darkness of night into a new day. The dawn of a new year, 2026, comes quietly, calmly, almost without notice.

Sunrise has always been a special time of day for me. The gentle release of soft pinks, purples and yellows along the horizon, which easily give way to the brighter hues that seem to scatter the blackness of night. A process that can seem to take an eternity, yet, if one blinks, or briefly looks away, an entire segment of the evolving sunrise is missed. Sailing on the ocean adds another dimension of sunrise that’s enthralling me.

As light eases from the dark horizon, water catches the glow, and a dance begins. Light sparkles, twirls with the watery waves, and plays with the frothy foam. Soon large patches of the opaque depths reflect the illumination of the sun. The glorious choreography is new every morning.

So begins a new year in my heart. An opportunity to catch the light of morning, illuminate the darkness of the unknown adventure ahead with kindness, empathy and gratitude for all of God’s creation. My intention in 2026 is to mindfully tend hearts, and mend life with whomever I meet.

Three Vistas

Rancho San Miguel: Andalusian Horse Show, Cost Rica; Cerra Verede National Park, El Salvador; Sunrise on the North Pacific Ocean, January 1, 2026.

Two Thoughtful Threads

• In a recent presentation on the history of Chocolate, given by Laura Lovelock, I learned that cacao (KA KAW), is a large fruit growing in the canopy jungles of South America. About the size of a cantalope, it’s the cacao seeds that are of interest. The earliest documented use of cacao seeds is 1100 BC. Cacao seeds have both monetary, and spiritual value in the Mayan and Aztec cultures. Around 1500 cacao is transported to Europe. There, the use of chocolate evolves over time from a bitter drink to a sweet treat. In 1879 Rodolphe Lindt invents the conching machine which makes a smooth creamy chocolate. This is when chocolate, as we know it, becomes a global phenomenon.
• Setting GOALS is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible. Tony Robins

One Historical Nugget

In many English speaking countries, on New Year’s Eve, a Scottish folk song is belted out at the stroke of midnight: Auld Lang Syne. The poet, Robert Burns is given credit for adapting the version we know from an older Scottish folk song. Loosely translated, the song title means “for the sake of old times past”. Another reframe for Auld Lang Syne: “We remember former years, forgive haunting hurts, and embrace the present moment.”