…is a good day to reflect. 2017, like all years before, came with changes: big ones as well as small ones.
Family: my mom. The death of my mom on August 14, at 90 years old was a big change. She was a lovely woman and a staunch, strong-willed supporter of my dad, my sisters and me. From her I learned many things, not the least are the value of planning and saving money, the pleasure from working hard and most important, always aim high. She opened my eyes to the endless possibilities each of us has in front of us. Other family changes: a new job for the youngest, a new home for the middle child, a baby on the way for the oldest, and a new home for me in Sandwich, on Cape Cod.
Other changes: this fall I taught 2 online courses at Lesley University, which was a fun change for me – Fundraising and Philanthropy. In late December, I learned that I was selected to join a team that will travel to Nepal in March, 2018 to learn about earthquake-resistant construction designs at the site of a disastrous earthquake two years ago. The team will be made up of clients and staff of Risk Management Solutions and the nonprofit, Build Change. Check them out at www.buildchange.org
The Untethered Soul. 
This book introduced me to the practice of awareness, which allows one to gracefully handle internal noise and external stimuli.
It has made a profound impact on me, which has enabled me to be present more during the second half of 2017. I purchased additional copies of this book and gifted it to 10 people in 2017
Lastly, the new year is now here and what better way to welcome 2018 than a poem. This one is by Wendall Berry, The Peace of Wild Things, I discovered it several years ago and just spotted it on social media today, the first day of 2018.
