A year to go slowly in.

A new year is a time for fresh beginnings, resolutions, best intentions. It is a time to wipe away the cobwebs of apathy and inertia, put on those running shoes and walk the walk. 

I am also thinking it's about taking the bull by the horns, but there are only so many platitudes one can make.

It often takes me a while to adjust to a new year, but I don't expect to have any trouble this time, given that 2018 was barely there. 

I feel like I skated across the surface of a year that ran at break neck speed. How can anyone be expected to walk any walks when they are running? And we all know that it's not wise to run before you can walk.

But enough of these little pearls of wisdom.

Because here we are in a year that hopefully will give us 60 seconds worth of distance run (Kipling). Because this year, I don't only want to walk, I want to stop and take stock as well.

This will be the year of the undeleted email, the app filled phone, the television remote revealing its possibilities. This year will be the year of the phone call instead of the text. Better still, let's visit a few more people.

Let's shake a hand, rather than using ours to post an email. Let's stop taking photos of food on facebook and share a meal instead. Let's lift our eyes from our phones and really look at each other. Don't take the photo. Look at the view and breathe its beauty in.

Let's embrace technology as a tool only and down those tools at the end of the day. Let's become our own masters and make or break a few rules along the way.

Let's focus on what matters. Let's not rush to do 100 things at a mediocre level when we could achieve 10 and do them really well.

And just maybe as we take the time, the year may yield that time back to us.

I hope 2019 passes slowly, like something to be savoured. I hope every day is full and rich. I hope we rest easy every night knowing this was a day well lived. And in doing, I hope we make the best possible memories to last forever.    – Linda Muller