Hey Reader!

New Year's Eve! What are your plans to send out the old and bring in the new?

My friend Kelly shared these fun Irish New Year traditions:

"1) Put some money outside your door before midnight and then right after midnight bring it in and you will be “bringing in money all year”

2) Kind of goes along with 1 - open the door at midnight to let the old year out and the new year in

3) Don’t do laundry on the 1st or you will wash out all the luck, and

4) Don’t take trash out in the 1st as you’ll be “throwing luck away” (take it out on the 31st to leave the "trash" behind)

5) Mom always had us eat black-eyed peas on New Year’s 🎊🥳🥂🍾"

Thanks Kelly, I'm so doing these!

I'm gathering with some friends for a pajama party with homemade pizzas and a game of canasta, followed by the black-eyed peas tradition on NYD. Boom!

After germinating the last couple weeks, I pulled together my yearend reflection. Some gems and pebbles worth keeping:

​The Pebbles Followed ​

As always, would love to hear your thoughts.

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Quick Word - Words have power. Use them well.

This week's word: Radiant

This word first came to mind a few weeks ago when I Facetimed with my nephew, Kirk, on his 30th birthday. He was holding his 4-month-old son, Hudson, and I was struck by his radiance - the light in him emboldened by being a new dad and by the acknowledgment of the gravity and excitement of his milestone decade-turning birthday. He was radiant with where he is in his life. He eminated the lights of possibility.

Then, the next day, his sister Dana had her first baby on the day Great Grandma (my mom) and Great Aunt (me) were to host her baby shower! During her nearly 9 months of pregnancy, she was radiant. That's the word we used to describe her every time. Being pregnant and literally full of life, and especially in the weeks following Lincoln's birth her radiance has only gotten brighter.

Dana and Kirk light up a room, and not just in our family. They're lit from within with a love that spreads.

Radiant. What a sparkly word.
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It is an adjective meaning "sending out rays of light; shining or glowing brightly." And, "filled with light." And, "showing pleasure, love, well-being, vitality."

Bright. Brilliant. Glorious. Beaming. Luminous. Resplendent.

Originating from Latin 1500 raiare (shine) and radius (ray of light).

We are all born radiant, like these two new baby boys in our family. Radiance is our birthright.

“Every child born into the world is a new thought of God, an ever-fresh and radiant possibility." – Kate Douglas Wiggin

We glow in the presence of someone's radiance.

“Choose to be radiant. Radiate your love, your light, your passion to everyone you meet...Be an amplifier of love." – Natalie Haig

The fuller, joyful moments and events in life are the opportunities to ignite or reignite our radiance.

“Nothing can dim the light which shines from within." – Maya Angelou

What lights you up? What ignites your inner radiance?

Something to think about as you shine your light into the New Year!

I hope you have a week (and year) filled with radiance. And, kindness. Happy New Year!
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Keep creating, abundantly,

PS If you'd like to join me to choose a phrase or word-of-the-year to kick off your leap year, go HERE. 💖