I suppose it is the time of year many of us look back and reflect on the year that is about to lapse and the new one, coming up. The trouble I have at the end of each year, is trying to deal with how fast the last 365 days have gone by.

My mom used to tell me that the older you get, the faster time flies. I was quite young, a teenager I think, when she first told me this. And I could not identify with her assessment, at that point in time.

Just goes to show we should all listen to our mommas because she was so right! The older I have gotten, the quicker the days go by and all the happenings that take place during each of those days.

And just as anxiously as I try to recall all that has taken place over the past year, I eagerly look forward to the new one, trying to imagine what the next 365 days will bring.

Most people make resolutions for New Year’s, but I have found I can’t keep those, no matter how hard I try.

I’m much better with to-do lists, well, at least I think so. My wife would beg to differ, but we will save that topic for another day.

So, for 2020, I have made a list of things I hope to accomplish. First, I want to make sure I say at least one good thing each day, about any person I don’t like. I know, I know, we are all supposed to like everyone. But, let’s be honest. We all have that one person that gets on our last nerve. You know it and I know it. However, I have discovered that it’s hard to not like someone if you are saying nice things about them.

Next, I want to make sure I share my blessings with someone I don’t know. Like paying for the person behind me in the drive-up window lane, every now and then. Or, giving a little extra time to a local charity. Or, something as simple as holding the door open for someone at the super market. Little gestures of kindness can often be the high point of the day for some folks.

I would also like to spend more time with family and friends. How many times have we all said that only to do just the opposite? I have sometimes found I don’t realize how much family and friends mean to me until one is no longer here. I don’t want to have regrets over that. I would rather have fond memories.

And lastly, I want to take more time to enjoy the beauty around me. I so often travel across the state and see such beautiful scenery, only to make every excuse in the book as to why I don’t have time to stop and preserve that beauty with the camera that is always by my side. My memory can only keep that image stored for so long so, I want to make sure I capture more of this beautiful world and stop making excuses.

As I look over this list, I don’t think it is too long or unreasonable. I can do all of these things and never have to hit the gym or give up cheeseburgers and chocolate. By the way, I hope my doctor doesn’t read this!

My wish list for 2020 is that it brings hope and peace and kindness to each of us. May we have bountiful crops and smooth sailing on the farm. And may we all stop to see the beauty that surrounds us, as we travel down the backroads.