My dear friend,

The countdown is on, and soon champagne will be flowing.

But before you move forward, look back.

As we sit on the rim of a new decade — poised to lean into the future and all it may bring — may I be so bold as to suggest you hasten slowly and dedicate time to reflect before you resolve?

Before planning the next chapter, might you consider taking time to bathe in memories of life already lived?

Ask yourself this: in these ten years, where have I been? What have I experienced? How has this shaped who I have become?

Would you consider carving out some time today to have this conversation? To look at photos, read old journal entries, or chat with people who were there?

There will be time for planning, this I know for sure.

(After all, is it not easier to plan than pause?)

So before the clock chimes 12, let’s take a thoughtful stand before we take another step.

For it is this tapestry of past moments that make up who we are today and will shape our future experience.

In the words of John Donahue: As this year draws to its end,

We give thanks for the gifts it brought

And how they became inlaid within

Where neither time nor tide can touch them.

I’ll see you next decade,

Yours,
Jennifer Dene