A blessed New Year starts closer to home

We have a lot of New Year’s traditions, some meant to bring good luck, others so ingrained we may not even remember how they began.

One of the most popular here is having black-eyed peas on New Year’s day. It’s usually slow cooked with ham and served with cornbread. Many families enjoy the meal and time together, hoping for good fortune with the new start.

In India, having rice on the holiday is supposed to bring prosperity. Ring-shaped treats such as doughnuts are eaten in Dutch homes, also for good fortune.

Traditions are good, and a little extra luck never hurts.

But while we’re celebrating the New Year, there is something we should also remember. We are the biggest determining factor in the quality of our coming year, be it good or otherwise.

As our country continues to tear itself apart on the political front, and we look back on another year of tragic mass shootings, maybe this is a good time to pause and reflect on the world we live in and what we contribute.

Do we treat others with kindness, or are we quick to judge?

Do we look for ways to make our communities better, or do we just demand more be done for us?

Do we help find solutions to problems, or look for someone to blame instead?

As we prepare our New Year’s resolutions, we hope some of the answers to these questions will find their way onto the list.

We hope our region, and our nation, has a blessed New Year, but ultimately we are the ones who decide that.

— Daily American Republic