“Hope smiles from the threshold of the year to come, whispering 'it will be happier'...” 
― Alfred Tennyson

“Tomorrow, is the first blank page of a 365 page book. Write a good one.” 
― Brad Paisley

“A bridge of silver wings stretches from the dead ashes of an unforgiving nightmare
to the jeweled vision of a life started anew.” 
― Aberjhani, Journey through the Power of the Rainbow

“For last year's words belong to last year's language and next year's words await another voice. And to make an end is to make a beginning."
― T.S. Eliot

“May light always surround you;
Hope kindle and rebound you.
May your hurts turn to healing;
Your heart embrace feeling.
May wounds become wisdom;
Every kindness a prism.
May laughter infect you;
Your passion resurrect you.
May goodness inspire 
your deepest desires.
Through all that you reach for, 
May your arms never tire.” 
― D. Simone

“We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day.” 
― Edith Lovejoy Pierce

“New Year - a new chapter, new verse, or just the same old story ? Ultimately we write it. The choice is ours.” 
― Alex Morritt, Impromptu ScribebRING

“As the old year retires and a new one is born, we commit into the hands of our Creator the happenings of the past year and ask for direction and guidance in the new one. May He grant us His grace, His tranquility and His wisdom!” 
― Peggy Toney Horton

I have been waiting for this day to come for so long now. 2017 cannot get here fast enough. 2016 has been filled with so much personal tragedy and heartache I just can't take another minute of this stupid year! As my family has suffered, it has also been a year of suffering for so many people that I know. Loss of precious children, parents, grandparents siblings and friends. New cancer diagnosis', an entire local family perishing in a house fire, newly diagnosed diseases, mass shootings, ISIS, plane crashes. This year has rocked my word like nothing ever has. I question everything and feel a complete loss of security. It is the most helpless feeling in the world. I have slipped into what I've been trying to avoid since Aspen's accident - complete depression. Christmas took me down like I never could have expected. It was far worse than Aspen's birthday, which I still cannot believe, but it is lingering. It is not going away. I want to feel hope again and I thought that this day would bring that for me. New Year's Eve. A new beginning for our family. Hope for a new chapter in this nightmare of a book that will be forever known as the worst year of my life. Perhaps a new baby that will have Aspen's eyes and amazing personality. I want to find the strength to pull myself out of this quicksand of despair and find light to guide me into the new year. I'm praying to God and Aspen and anyone who will listen, PLEASE bring our family peace and light for 2017 and beyond. We all deserve the heaviness to lift at least a little and begin a new chapter filled with hope. 

I'm giving it my everything - picking myself up, dusting myself off and plunging into the New Year with as much hope as I can muster. Focusing on the positive and leaving the negative behind. Bring on 2017!

Wishing all of my family and friends a blessed 2017!