As I gazed out at the first sunset of the new year I pondered how society has turned January 1 into a time of setting new goals, accomplishing new tasks and brandishing new mindsets. Go, go, go...it's time to get started. Worthy attributes all. However, it comes during a time when the rest of our natural world is overwintering. Our flora and fauna brethren arw protecting themselves from the elements and building energy reserves for the coming year.

Personally, I've no mind for resolutions and even less intent of joining the first of the year goal based militants, whose best intentions fizzle out more quickly than the leftover (leftover...?) New Year's Eve champagne.

I prefer instead to follow the lead of the natural world. Taking shelter from the fiercest storms and building a cozy nest that warms my heart when winter winds chill me to the bone. It's easy enough to do. Read your book and take that extra cup of warming elixir in a cozy spot, specially placed to capture the fleeting moments of waning milky sunlight. 

Remember that you are not an annual but a perennial. Be kind to your soul and healing to your body. Keep warm and well nourished. Flex but don't overdo. Allow yourself to rest so that your blooms will be strong again come Spring.

Here's hoping that this New Year brings joy to your world.

Felicia Giordano lives in Rockport