A New Year dawns –
I remember when I was a little girl
my parents arrived home on New Year’s Eve
bearing gifts.
In the morning, we would find pretty gold streamers,
a medley of horns, and wind-up noise-makers.
How I loved to parade about the house, a merry band
of my own making.
The startling music of those long-ago horns is hard to forget!
It is the golden streamers that I loved best, glimmers
of unknown tomorrows.
They tugged at my heartstrings like glittering ribbons of possibility…
What wonders might the New Year bring?
Happy New Year 2026!
There is something magical about embarking on a brand-new year, as if we were taking the trip of our dreams…New sights await, new discoveries to be made, a world of possibilities in the days ahead.
When we plan a trip, we take inventory of what we will need to bring with us. It takes careful planning to decide what items we will actually use, and what items we can safely leave behind. I often overpack my suitcase, and then do another ‘edit’ before I leave home. I usually discover that I only need about half of what I originally packed.
What are some of things we should carry with us into the New Year 2026? What are some of the things we should leave behind because it will only weigh us down?
The Bible tells us over and over again not to be afraid and not to worry about the future. And yet, it is a hard thing to put aside. Worry and fear can derail our lives and rob us of joy. It can certainly add a lot of weight to our suitcase!
What should we pack? What do we really need day to day in the year ahead?
One thing we most definitely should pack in our bags is ‘Christmas’. The greatest gift of Christmas is that Jesus is with us now and forevermore. Christmas is meant to be lived every day of the year.
Christmas is God’s great love story for His children, so we certainly have to pack love into our suitcases. God has explicitly told us, “Love one another as I have loved you.” (John 13:34-35) Love is an action word and we must use it every day.
The next thing we must pack in our suitcases is joy. Every day of the year should have a little sprinkle of joy, like a Christmas cupcake we get to eat every single day. Joy is not the same thing as being happy all the time. Joy is God’s gift to us in the midst of all circumstances in our lives. Psalm 16:11 states that, “In your presence, there is fullness of joy.”
How is it possible that we can do all of this packing on our own? Is that something we should even attempt? Or should we open our suitcase for 2026 and ask God for His blessing upon our days, that we might live out the legacy of love that He has planned for our lives?
In the winter sky on a dark night, shines a host of stars. Little beacons of light fill the universe with wonder. God’s light fills our very souls with wonder. This is the wonder we share with the world, knowing that our light matters.
Open your suitcase for 2026 and see the light that shimmers there amidst the miscellaneous ‘stowaways’ that somehow found a home…little heartaches, aches and pains, reminders of things we wished we had done in 2025 and didn’t get around to doing. Regret has a way of making the suitcase super heavy.
Now remember that “Nothing is impossible for God.” (Matthew 19:26) No matter how hard we try to do everything ourselves, including packing our bags for every emergency, we need God’s help. He is the only One who knows what we really need and what is not good for us.
God’s promises never fail. In Psalms 128:1 we read “Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, and walks in His ways.”
The truth is that if we trust in God and His provision for our lives, we know that our suitcases are already full of good things. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22-23)
Happy New Year!
A little bit of Christmas every day of the year…
Beautiful places to discover…
So much wonder all around us…
“In their hearts, humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.” Proverbs 16:!9
Thank you for this encouragement, Linda!
You are welcome! Wishing you a very good start to the New Year 2026!
Linda, this is beautiful. You are a true artist with words. One thing I want to pack this year is patience. I love the verse about not being anxious about anything, but I have control issues and feel the need to ‘force’ outcomes. I want to unpack ‘judgment’ and passive-aggressive behaviors, which also get me into trouble. Thank you for this wise encouragement. Happy New Year!
Thank you for your kind and thoughtful comment! I need to pack patience into my suitcase as well! The more positive things we add in, the less room we have for the not so positive stuff! Happy New Year!
Terrific post. Love the childhood memories you hold dear. Here’s to leaning in to 2026.
Thank you! Good to cherish those childhood memories! Wishing you all good things in the New Year 2026!
Linda, a touching post of New Year past and present, the sense of wonder, of endless possibilities is beautifully captured. I love the image of ‘glimmers/of unknown tomorrows’! May we never lose that sense of magic!
Yes! It is important to think about the ‘glimmers’ to come, no matter our age. There is so much wonder in what is seemingly ‘ordinary’. If we live in a state of expectation, embracing all that has been, and all that will be, with a sense of joy and peace, we find the miraculous all around us.
Love the imagery you present here, Linda, of packing our suitcase with worthwhile attitudes for 2026 while omitting others. I want to pack perseverance as I tackle the goal of finding a small independent publisher or kind agent willing to take on a new author! If that is not what God would have for me, I pray for clarification and the wherewithal to self-publish, perhaps. (I do want to rely upon him in this endeavor.) As you say, “He is the only One who knows what we really need and what is not good for us.” I heartily agree!
Wishing you blessings in your publishing journey! You do have a gift! Perseverance is so very important whatever our goals may be. It is also good to celebrate the steps along the way! Happy New Year!
Thank you, Linda!
What beautiful childhood memories you captured in your poem, Linda. Just magical. I can imagine the scene and have similar memories myself. I love your gentle memories and words. Glad to hear that you had a wonderful holiday season and wish you the most amazing new year, full of love, good health, peace, and an abundance of blessings.
Thank you, Diana! I am glad you enjoyed the poem! So much wonderment in childhood and that is a very good thing. I think if we can hold onto some of that into adulthood, we are so very blessed. Children certainly find wonder in the most ordinary of things, and in truth, it is there for us as well…if we look for it. I know that you certainly understand that and I wish you much wonderment in the upcoming year. Each day is a new page, yet unwritten, full of possibility. Happy New Year and hugs to you!
🙂 <3
Love this. Have a blessed New Year Linda
Wishing you blessings in the New Year also!!! I am already looking at catalogues of spring bulbs!!! We have a ways to go, but I love thinking about the spring garden.
Gardening used to be a love of mine too but times have changed. I always look forward to seeing your photos.
I don’t think there is a flower that I do not like! That is why I love the change of seasons…always something different in bloom! Even in winter, there are the Holly berries. I do like taking pictures of the garden because it is never exactly the same year to year. It is always changing! One thing is for sure…There will always be surprises! 🙂
That’s a wonderful and warm poem, Linda! Happy New Year to you and your family!!!
Thank you, Ann! Happy New Year to you and your family as well. We are getting a couple of warm weather days and that is nice after a cold spell! Lots of sunshine! 🙂
Oh, this is lovely, Linda! I love your thoughts and photos. I do love the feeling of the new year offering a fresh opportunity to live and love well. And then I remember that every day offers this, too. Thank you!
Thank you, Karin! Yes! Every day is a fresh start, full of possibilities. Winter is upon us and I am trying to enjoy this cold-weather season. 🙂 If I am bundled up, I like to take winter walks and get some fresh air. (Our Corgi does not seem to mind the cold at all.)
What a beautiful and inspiring post, Linda. Yes, this is what I try to do. By the way, I loved the image of you as a little girl dancing around with the glimmery ribbons from the party your parents went to the night before. I look for ribbons of Light and Joy every day in my everyday life. And I want to pack them with me, wherever I go. Happy 2026. <3
Thank you! Wonderful comment! You are wise to pack those ‘ribbons of light and joy’ and take them wherever you go. Life is not always easy, but those ribbons make a big difference! 🙂