DEBORAH CORRAO / L’Observateur / September 13, 1999

As I write this, I have just turned a year older. Of course, it didn’t happenovernight. It took 365 days for me to reach another milestone. Just as weage gradually, we gain wisdom step-by-step along the way.

Fortunately, within the last decade or so, my outlook on a lot of things has changed. Interesting word – outlook. To look out.During our youth we tend to look in, defining all of our experiences and life itself by how it affects ourselves. As we gain in wisdom, we begin tolook out, to see ourselves as part of a larger picture, as a small part of infinity.

When we can begin to view ourselves in that light, life becomes simpler.

It becomes less important to make our choices based on societal pressures. We find that just being ourselves is somehow good enough. Wehave nothing to prove. We just need to be.We no longer have to be slaves to the past or to the future. We can makeour peace with the past, forgiving old grudges, and remembering that we have no control over the future.

One of the things I like about a new year is opening a new calendar. Spreadbefore me are 365 days, all marked off in clean white boxes, that I can do with what I wish. I know that the pages won’t stay white forever. Theywill begin to fill up as they do every year, but I have a choice as to what I fill it up with.

Besides a new calendar here are some other of my favorite simple things: anything white (dresses, T-shirts, towels, candles, gardenias) the beach at Destin (and most other beaches) back roads anything by Bach my grandchildren sincerity humor compassion choirs singing whales a ride in a boat an autumn day a summer night Christmas Day Life, love and laughter.

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