Hey it’s Terrific Tuesday again. How’s everything in your neck of the woods? Happy New Year.

It is another new year. They seem to pass faster with each new bell ring. Thankfully 2012 is over but what will 2013 bring?

I like odd years better than even years and though 13 is supposedly unlucky, could it be much worse than 2012. Only if it kills me and since I am sure I will head to Heaven after this old fallen world, death would be worse for my kin than me.

My brother, my four children, my parents and I were all born in odd years. There should be something epic about that if you think about it. My husband is the only even in our family. I think that says a great deal, too. He is even, but odd man out since he is the only one. I find such things fascinating. A strange coincidence? I think not. In the laws of probability it is remarkable that out of 9 people there are 8 odds and 1 even.

I have no New Year resolutions. I think we should change as we need to, evolve in our lives like perhaps a flower in bloom. I do hope to continue to lose weight. The holidays were not kind to my diet though sweets were not the culprit. I had a week to cook and I did. Unfortunately I ate it after I cooked and it was good. I made broccoli casserole twice in the span of 4 days. Yummy…

I do hope as a country we will begin to look after one another more this year. Sometimes I am shocked to death by “me-isms” I see especially in Congress and among people who profess to be evangelicals. Everyone who deserves help does not live in a foreign country. We have plenty of folks here. Most of are too proud to ask or would say no if you offered.

I heard from a Botetourt fellow this morning whose family has been blessed during bad times in 2012. They took excess of what they received or better yet felt they needed, and spread it around to others at Christmas because they don’t feel no matter how bad things are, they are worse off than the next guy with troubles. My kind of folks. If you read the federal statistics on who gets public service, you will find the “welfare sit at homes” are  about one per cent of over 300 million people, while millions, an estimated 40 million live in poverty and receive no handouts. A tremendous number of them are elderly choosing between food and medicine and single parent families, many the working poor who want better for their children.

You don’t have to give a handout to be charitable. Scraping a driveway, carrying someone’s groceries, making a meal for the sick or grieved, even opening a door are simple good works. A smile or a wave from behind the wheel, are easy to do and may make someone happy. My teenager asks why I wave at everyone. Why not? So what if they don’t wave back, it was still worth the effort. It is the least I can do and I should try to do more.

Happy New Year Botetourt! “Do unto others as you would have them to do unto you,” the Golden Rule is a resolution for every day, not just a new year.