The arrival of the new year presents us with many choices, not the least of which is whether to remain mired in misery over whatever happened in 2025 or to consciously aspire to more joyful lives. 

Instead of becoming weighed down with a long list of resolutions this year, can we consider the option of simply focusing on that which brings us joy?

For me, it’s partly time spent outdoors with my favorite furball, Raven. From her point of view roughly eight inches off the ground, she greets the world head-on, with a funny and false sense of bravado that dissipates quickly when met with the unexpected. 

It’s also watching our backyard birds and squirrels, taking delight in their antics and sometimes surprising behaviors, like the unusual pairing of a woodpecker and chickadee described in the bird photo caption in this column.

There’s also the more subtle joy that arises when nature presents her exquisite artwork in the gallery of the great outdoors, as detailed in the caption for the ice-riddled stream.

Embrace what brings YOU joy in the coming days. Joy itself is a gift to be cherished and then relinquished. 

Heed the wisdom of the visionary poet, William Blake, who wrote:

“He who binds to himself a joy
Does the winged life destroy; 
But he who kisses the joy as it flies,
Lives in Eternity’s sunrise.”