This new epoch of mine, the Guadalupian, which came to me after I reached the top of Guadalupe Peak last month is proving to be quite the thing. New discoveries are showing up every day. Yesterday it happened with Christmas cards. Usually, my late wife handled that chore. Then in 2018 after she went into memory care, I picked up the job. I had the address book, she always noted the last year she sent a card, and all I had to do was follow suit. It was a job I did by rote.

This year I started questioning the list. First of all, there were her cousins, some of whom I knew, some not at all. I’ll continue sending cards to those who remain in my life, but I’ll let the rest slide. Then there are people who were her friends more than my friends and if I haven’t heard from them in a while, then it shortens the list further. And finally, there are people I know with whom I’ve lost contact. They’re off too. Basically, I think I’ll note this year who sends me a card and try to fine tune the list even further. Seems reasonable. After all, it ought to be about personal contact and being in the lives of people who want you in their life.

This new age is proving enlightening. I’m making other discoveries, too, and finding new paths. I think I’m coming into my own again. During the hard grieving, there was comfort in the familiar, both with the house and with routines. But a veil seems to have lifted. I’m going to paint walls, move furniture, the Christmas card list will be pared, and I’ll decorate the house, but for reasons and in ways I find compelling. All around me things are ending, things are beginning, opportunities beckon. My year is coming to a tidy end, ying and yang, and I’m making ready for a new tomorrow.