Grace In The Turning Year

Grace in the Turning Year

As a new year approaches,

may we pause to feel the year's gentle turning,

breathe in its quiet promise,

and greet the days ahead with open hearts.

May we welcome the blessings that lie ahead.

May we hold on to the good memories,

the laughter,

the warmth,

the moments that shaped us for the better.

May we let go of old hurts, regrets and fears that no longer serve us,

trusting that setting them down

creates space for brighter days to come.

May we remember those we have lost,

as their absence is felt in so many tender ways,

in traditions that feel different now,

in empty spaces at the table,

in the echo of voices

we still expect to hear.

We honor them through gratitude for all they shared,

by carrying forward the gifts they gave us:

their enduring love,

the lessons they taught us,

and the gentle reminder

that every connection matters

because it is so fragile.

The new year does not ask us to forget.

It asks us to walk ahead with gratitude for what was,

compassion for what is,

and hope for what can still be.

And so we step forward,

carrying the light of what has been,

the lessons learned,

the love shared,

into the blank pages of the days ahead,

open to surprises,

small joys,

and the extraordinary grace that awaits us in every moment.

~ Grace in the Turning Year by Spirit of a Hippie

✍️ Mary Anne Byrne

~ Art by Mila Marquis