01/01/2026
A New Year, With Hooves Steady on the Ground
To friends and family—my chosen stars,
As the calendar flips and raises the bars,
We toast to a year freshly unshod and new,
With hope in its pockets… and trouble there too.
May laughter arrive unannounced at the door,
May love overstay, may courage ask for more.
And when life insists on hills steep and long,
May you climb them humming your favorite song.
For let’s not pretend this road will be smooth—
The year packs its puzzles, its sharp turns, its truth.
There will be moments that test what you know,
And hours that ask you to bend, not break, slow.
Use the hard days like wind at your back,
Let failure be fuel, let loss redraw the map.
Every stumble, a lesson in clever disguise,
Every scar, proof you dared, learned, and tried.
And when the noise grows loud, frantic, and thin,
Think of my donkeys—unbothered, tuned in.
With wisdom in stillness, intelligence calm,
They pause before moving, then choose where they stand.
They don’t rush the answer or panic with fear,
They weigh the world quietly, hoof by hoof, ear by ear.
A reminder to all of us, bright and sincere:
Strength isn’t speed—it’s being clear.
So here’s to a year both tender and tough,
To grit wrapped in humor, to “enough” being enough.
May you meet it with heart, with patience, with grace—
And donkey-like calm when life tests your pace.
Happy New Year to all—may it teach, may it cheer,
May you grow wiser, steadier, truer this year. 🥂
My ideas, honed by chatgpt. It did well.
