Happy New Year!

It’s a New Year and time for new starts. Each year during the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day I get on an organizing tangent. Every drawer, every closet, under the stairs and in the garage gets organized. My paper shredder does double duty as old papers get shredded and trash is hauled to the condo’s dumpster. My dog, who is terrified of the shredder, hides behind the desk until this whirlwind of activity is concluded.

Why do I always feel I have to get my life organized prior to January 1? Is it really any different from any other day? No, we arbitrarily equate the New Year with new beginnings. We could say the first day of spring or the summer solstice is a time for fresh starts. But we don’t. The new year is a time for resolutions, feeling like we’re stepping out on a new foot and in my case cleaning out every nook and cranny that ever existed in my home.

I’m not sure I’ve always been like this. Having a chronic illness seems to make the fresh start more important. Some years that come to a close have been harder than others, medically speaking. Starting out a new year brings promise that things will be healthier, easier and better.

For many of us, the New Year still means three days a week dialysis sessions to attend or daily peritoneal exchanges. For those of you with a transplant, it still means taking a handful of drugs everyday and dealing with the challenges of a transplant.

But for all of us, it means we have made it through the past year. We’ve learned from the experiences that occurred each day. We are stronger and more accepting of our kidney disease. And we know that each day, though sometimes challenging, also has many smiles and happy times, too. The New Year brings with it hope and hope is a very strong motivator.

Wishing you the very best 2007 filled with joy and hope in every day!