This is it; the last day of the first decade of the 21st century.  Now generally I don’t get much excited about the shifting from one calendar year to another; deep in my genetic coding is the feeling that the year begins in September.  After all, that’s the month that’s generally when we celebrate Rosh Hashanah (Head of the Year in Hebrew) and it’s the first month of the school year and for 55 years my life has been measured out with September as the real starting point each year.  Had I been born some 28 days later it would have been my birth month as well.  But since the end of 1999 there’s been an additional element drawing me to focus on time marching on (aside from how my body reminds me which is grist for another mill and another day).  I don’t even know for sure what we’re going to call the next year.  My money’s on “twenty-ten” but it’s still a surprise waiting to happen.

Being able to write this blog, and knowing that you’re reading it and supporting me with your comments, is a wonderful gift I’ve been able to enjoy.  So, as the year ends, I wanted to leave you with a few gifts as well.

From a site called Yes! Powerful ideas, practical actions, comes 10 Things Science Says Will Make You Happy.  Now don’t be so quickly dismissive; click on the link and I think you’ll be surprised.

And then there’s Free The Children’s great 10 by 10 Challenge. When you register here you will be joining a community of “we” thinkers around the world who are working to create a better global future.  You make up to 10 commitments to things you’ll do in 2010; things as simple as turning off the lights when you leave a room.  So far close to 130,000 c0mmitments have been made.

I also encourage you to have a peek at Right to Play; I first heard about this watching a TV special on a soccer team made up of Israeli and Palestinian youth.  It’s a wonderful idea and they’re just getting started really.  I wonder if they’d consider adding a choir as another way to play?

Last, but not least, check out this amazing video called My Body, My Temple. The images are beautiful and the thoughts are, I think, quite inspiring.  One of my Crones Counsel friends sent it along to me; I share it today with you.

So …. I wish you all the very best in 2010.  Elizabeth Lovejoy Pierce had this to say about the start of a new year:  ”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.”  Here’s hoping that we write words of peace and love, joy and harmony, good health and kindness on many many of its pages.