There’s more Yuletide behind us than ahead now. Looking back over these holidays, I count a more striking mix than usual of joys and sorrows, both small and great. On the up side, for example, Denise Merrill’s “girls” are laying eggs again. We didn’t lose power in the ice storm.

Way up: I watched pure rapture flood the face of our 4-year-old granddaughter when Santa Claus materialized on the roof of the Rumford Fire Station.

I felt the hush that came over the audience of hundreds at the RAAPA Christmas concert when Elaine Michaud sang “Mary Did You Know.” (We may be among the last in all the River Valley to discover the woman’s great musical gift. “Oh yes,” said the couple sitting in front of us. “Yes. And she teaches phys ed at Mt. Valley Middle . . . “)

Sorrows come to us even in the season of hope. Teresa Picard left us, quietly as she would. Nothing can temper the shock of Junior Barker’s loss, except, perhaps the grace of his family and the tributes of his community. Joe Sirois’ wonderful Pat left us, too. She gave force and meaning to “. . . after a courageous battle . . . “

The quiet one in an otherwise noisy Universalist Unitarian discussion group, Pat’s infrequent observations were worth waiting for and seldom missed the mark. Frank, funny, insightful, devoted to her family was Pat Sirois, and the lesson I take from her is live in the moment. I think she truly did.

Live in the moment, but think forward.

Already counting down to midnight Wednesday and a new year, I’ve made some new year’s resolutions.

They range in magnitude from trivial to deeply meaningful.

Examples of the first:

• Do not wince when someone says, “That’s pretty unique,” or “It’s the most unique thing ever.”

• Set up a small-appliance file to include purchase date, method, and retailer’s name, the sales receipt, and warranty expiration date. Then, when inevitably, the four-slice toaster that can’t be a year old goes south and blows a circuit breaker to boot, I can get a new toaster free maybe.

• Keep a stash of the following items in the car: toothpicks, aspirin, paper towels, water bottle, note paper and pen, dictionary, binoculars.

• Do not sit on your (expensive) glasses anymore.

In the make-life-a-little-sweeter category:

• Don’t nag your husband about unimportant stuff; there’s so much on the important list, e.g., don’t throw the toothpaste out before it’s really, totally empty.

• Prevent unhealthy outrage: avoid blogging.

• Don’t make a big deal out of the disappearance of Brillo pads from Hannaford’s shelves.

In the deeply meaningful group:

• Be brave, be hopeful, make plans – this given us by the daughter and granddaughter who live by it.

• Stay close to family and friends, even when that’s hard to do.

• Carpe diem!

Happy new year.

Linda Farr Macgregor is a freelance writer who lives in Rumford. Contact her: [email protected].