Although I “thank” real life-humans for their persistence, their kindness, their fortitude, courage, sensitivity, and good humor, I don’t claim to “thank” any person or entity I can’t actually see or hear.

Instead, I do “appreciate” my fortunate situation. I am extraordinarily lucky to still be alive on this oftentimes chaotic planet and to have this opportunity to tap these words into this comment. I’m even more lucky that others might actually read it. I might not be alive today, or I wouldn’t be the person I turned out to be, except that hundreds of other people stepped forward and showed that they cared.

I also appreciate that the younger version of myself took care of things years ago, so that the older version of myself had a better chance at a better life.

I appreciate that many great writers and thinkers took the time to write down their ideas carefully, so that I had a chance to learn from them.

I very much appreciate my own family. How is it that they are so willing to repeatedly forgive me my passion to so often contemplate the world?

This year, I especially appreciate those many people out there who have shown me that sitting around and thinking and writing is not enough–that we each need to get socially involved in making the world a better place, (even those of us who are introverts!). This year, I had the great opportunity to see, up close, many Christians being truly Christian and many humanists being truly Humanist.

The experiences I have had this year need to be expressed in a battle cry to shape next year: This coming year is the year in which we must all continue to DO. Faith, hope, insight and gentle thoughts are nothing at all until they take root and improve the lot of one or more people.

These are the lessons to come to mind at the moment. With more time, though, I could write many thousands of words. I am truly one of the luckiest people alive.