Another year sped by.

Last year, we celebrated my birthday in Fort St. John at Keaton and Kate’s place.

This year, it’s just Deb and me. But we were at Caileigh and Chris’ place last weekend. And that was my real birthday present. Spending time with my immediate family.

The world is a very different place this year, but I still feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude.

With so much pain and anger in the world.

With so many people carrying burdens that threaten to sink them.

With so much uncertainty.

I’m grateful for everything that I have.

I have a Deb. “The” Deb Dagenais. My beloved wife. Everyone deserves a partner so loving and kind.

I have three awesome kids. Caileigh, Keaton, and Tara. Who have grown up to be incredible adults. And they’ve found wonderful people to share their lives with. And increase our connections to more lovely folks.

If I never looked at social media or the news… And I only looked at the world around me and the folks I interact with the most… I would think that this world was a utopia.

Alas, it is not a utopia.

And there are some dark times ahead.

But I still feel hope for the future.

As I reflect on last year, I realize that I missed a few goals.

I wanted to write a play. I did not. I made some notes and got started. But I didn’t finish.

I wanted to get my weight down to 190lbs. I did not. But I lost ten pounds by the end of the year.

I wanted to find a side hustle. I’m still looking.

And I wanted to go on two trips with Deb. We got to Ottawa and Montreal. And my cousin’s cottage. We didn’t have to go far to “get away”. Each trip refilled my emotional and spiritual gas tanks.

I performed in two plays. And I was proud of the work I did in both. Burn and The Game’s Afoot both pushed me to stretch a bit.

I sang with my choir Vocal Point in both the Spring and Winter shows. And although I’m still not a strong singer, I am improving. And it brings me so much joy.

I’ve been using Duolingo to work on my French. I’m not having conversations yet. But my vocabulary is much larger than it ever was when I was studying French in school. Sometimes, I’ll read the French part first instead of reading only the English part. When we get some bilingual materials.

There were opportunities to hang out with family and friends. Both in person and online. As I get older, I appreciate these moments we get to interact. They are a gift.

Last year, I said that it was more important to have goals than to achieve them. I still think that’s true. It’s good to reflect on the past and important to live in the present. But having a goal to strive for helps to keep the big picture in perspective.

For year 62 of the Groon, I’ll keep a few of last years goals:

• Write one play. It can be a ten minute one or one-act or a full length. Just write something new, Gruner!
• I still want to get to my Marathon Weight (180lbs), but I will shoot for 190lbs. Slow and steady wins the race.
• And I want to go on a couple of trips with Deb again. Even if they are only day trips within our region. We’re both busy with shows and things, so it is nice to hang out and discover new things. Even if they are just around the corner.

At 62, it’s hard not to think about the fact that there’s less in front than there is behind. But that’s no reason not to enjoy what is still in front. There’s still so much to experience and discover. To learn and improve on.

There’s a line from the play I’m in. Things I Know to be True by Andrew Bovell.

Fran says to her husband:

“I don’t want you to be old, Bob. (Pointing to her head). In here. There’s plenty of time for that. Later. Wait for me. We’ll do it together but not yet.”

Here’s to another year of youthful thinking.