I will wet my feet at midnight and welcome the new year

Tonight I want to believe in magic. In a few hours I´ll be watching the fireworks at Praia de Boa Viagem. I haven´t stayed up to wait for the new year in a very long time. I don´t really feel the need - it´s not like magic will happen if you wait for the clock to strike midnight. But this year, as I am here with my sibilings, we will walk to the beach together after 11pm and maybe even watch one of the free concerts and do the countdown to midnight.

Final dinner of 2014 - home made pizza 

Our final dinner of 2015 was a banquet of pizza that my brother made for us. I had a special pizza topped with lactose free cottage, sundried tomotoes and rocket. Yumm. My sister prepared the most delicious lactose free desert for me, consisting of home made strawberry ice-cream and sponge cake. I´m full and sleepy and wondering if it´s really worth waiting until midnight...

I am grateful for so much this year but specially for being alive and well and to be living in one of the safest places on earth. Both on christmas day and today, I thought of the mother of three that lost her life at the Lindt Cafe siege in Sydney and how her family must be feeling... life feels so fragile and random and with very few certainties.

So, tonight I want to wet my feet in the water and feel the gentle waves bring positive energy to me and to humanity in 2015 and beyond. I will say a prayer but I´ll not ask for magic to happen. I´ll ask for mindfulness to the world and for contentment; for more being and less doing; for more moments spent in nature and less time in shops. And I will pray that I´ll remember my prayer beyond 1 January. Maybe because I´m writing this down and sharing it, I´ll be more committed.

I´m not a big fan of new years resolutions as such but I will write up a list of things I would like to do or accomplish in 2015. I feel it gives me focus when I write them down. Last year I had ´running two half-marathons´ in my list but I ended up running a full one instead. That was one of the highlights of 2014. I will not write my list on day one as I am not sure yet what I want to get done in 2015. I hope the gentle waves tonight will bring some clarity :)

Another big highlight for me this year was seeing my sister cycling again after fighting breast cancer. The last 2 years so many people I know have been affected by this nasty disease. Seeing good human beeings fighting this type of fight makes me question my beliefs over and over and over.

Ana, you are a warrior, I admire you so much.

My friend Carla, beautiful, she kept sane by reading dozens of books during her treatment.

When we get up tomorrow it will be Thursday like so many other Thrusdays. There will still be wars, and hunger and pain around us. And like everyday there will also be hope and I hope that I remember to savour 2015 one day at a time and honour every moment. This year I failed most days but I will keep trying. New year´s greetings to everyone.