Year Past - Year Present

'Twas a great morning for reflection - Bacchus re-aquainting himself with all the neighborhood scents and me thinking about the pros and cons of the past year. In the spirit of the new year I thought mostly about the pros. How blogging has opened up a whole new world to me, the new friends and acquaintances it has brought, the unexpected experiences and an expanded outlook on life as it is lived here.

I thought too of how many old friends have come back into my life. Some in answer to queries from lack of Christmas cards the year before, others who included e-mail addresses making communication more than once a year easy and with my relentless pursuit - unavoidable. I even had a dear old friend from high school track me down via Classmates. What a joy that has been and what a remarkable woman I'm getting reacquainted with. Treasures all.

But most of all and totally unexpected, an e-mail this morning brought tears to my eyes. It was from a soldier in Iraq. Around the first of December an old friend had asked that Christmas cards be sent to a civilian friend working there who was helping put together Christmas for the troops. I jotted notes on some leftover cards and sent them off in a hurry wanting them to have a chance of getting there before the holiday. I wasn't sure there would be a response.

This morning there was. I still feel the emotion as I write this. I feel blessed - that he cared; that he cared that I cared. From one stranger to another - the bond of caring is overwhelming.