New year brims with possibilities

Welcome 2014.

We’re only two days into the new year and I’m already excited about what’s in store for the next 12 months.

I love the idea of a fresh beginning each year. When one year ends and another begins, it brings with it the possibility that anything can happen.

This past year has been a year of transition for me and my family. There have been personal transformations, new careers, new schools and a new home. It hasn’t always been easy, but the results are worth the anxiety and frustration we experienced.

The end of 2013 proved that — in abundance.

My family and I spent part of Christmas Day celebrating with the residents of Boulder City. We headed to the Senior Center, where we helped serve a turkey dinner with all the trimmings.

Food was plentiful, as was the Christmas spirit. It was one of the few times where I saw nearly as many volunteers as there were people enjoying the special event.

Making the dinner all the more special — aside from its return after an eight-year absence — was the fact that anyone could come and celebrate. The dinner was open to all: young, old, rich or poor. All that was needed was the willingness to come enjoy a dinner with others.

I can’t think of a better way to mark the holiday than to make sure that no one has to be alone.

It was just one more example of the spirit of friendship and love of the community I have experienced since I was named editor of the paper.

All of this gives me hope for a wonderful new year.

New Year’s Day has always been special to me. It’s the one day of the year where I plan to do almost nothing but spend the day with those I love.

I say almost because if there is one thing I must do, it’s watch the annual Tournament of Roses Parade. Sure, it’s fun to watch the ball drop in Times Square — if I can stay up that late — and share a kiss with my husband at midnight. But it’s the parade that truly signals the start of a new year for me.

I grew up just a few miles from Pasadena. If we weren’t watching the parade on TV, we were on Colorado Boulevard, where you can smell the flowers and hear the bees buzzing as the floats pass by.

It’s practically a rite of passage to spend the night on the street, staking out the perfect spot to watch the parade. Ringing in the new year is a giant party with lots of new friends, sharing toasts with hot beverages.

I have been fortunate enough to help decorate one of the floats and even to participate in the parade, albeit as a support person to my husband, who rode his horse as part of an equestrian group.

Now that I live in Nevada, I still have to watch. But I’m also hoping to start some new traditions, and this is where I need some help.

I invite Boulder City residents to help me ring in the new year during an open house from 4-6 p.m. Jan. 9 here at the Boulder City Review office, 508 Nevada Way, Suite 1.

Let’s welcome in the new year together and see what develops during the next 12 months.