:: On this eve of the new year... ::

" There, peeping among the cloud-wrack above a dark tor high up in the mountains,

Sam saw a white star twinkle for awhile.

The beauty of it smote his heart,

as he looked up out of the forsaken land,

and hope returned to him.

For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him

that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing:

there was light and high beauty

for ever beyond its reach."

{The Return of the King : Tolkien}

Despite the topsy-turvy,

unsettled year this has been.

despite the worry,

the times of feeling a weight

heavier than I've ever known,

the beauty of nature and stories

anchored my heart,

settled hope in my soul.

in the end, it's only a passing thing,

with light and beauty within its reach.

Many wishes for a happy new year my friends.

May this upcoming year fill your life with light and beauty.

(and copious cups of tea and many good books!)