Tag: New Years

Words

January 1, 2026

A local radio personality asked people to call in with a word for the year. He felt like this was better than asking about resolutions. I agree. My problem is that I can’t choose one word for the entire year.

Peace, joy, love, kindness, and self-control immediately come to mind. They are things to pray for and strive for. Concentrating on these for just one year will not achieve lasting results. We must focus on them every day, week, and year.

I have a long list of words for different occasions that I will share this year as I think of them. Watch for my new category, words. I will post columns there to give us all additional information about things that will be beneficial to us and our world.

Let’s start with kindness. It is a simple word. A dictionary definition is the quality or state of being kind. Of a sympathetic or helpful nature is the meaning of kind. At least that is the one that relates to kindness. Do you see the problem?

We should all treat each other with kindness, but we disagree on exactly what that means. Let’s try a different approach. Think of a time when someone was not kind to you. That’s easy. You just thought of at least one or two incidents where someone was not kind to you.

Turnabout is fair play. Looking at those actions, consider times when you act like that to others. Do not tell me that you never do that. I know I have times when I am not kind. We are talking about improving ourselves over the next year. First, let’s try not to be unkind.

We can all consider each other as our equals and treat them as such. That is being kind. We are not all kind when we drive. Think about how you act toward other drivers. Some run red lights or stop signs. I have witnessed this. Many of us do not enjoy the roundabouts that we have now. Most have yield signs on all four streets.

Some of you say that you cannot yield to others because they will not yield to you. It does not hurt anyone if I fail to yield. Until I hit another car. That is not being kind. It is also not kind to jump out of your vehicle and scream and yell at another person that you hit. You know you were at fault, but to scare them, you try to make them believe they are responsible.

That will be our next word. I have noticed how many of us seem not to know what it means to take responsibility for our own actions. We will discuss that next time. Until then, I would like each of us to eliminate as much of our unkindness as we can and find ways to be kinder as often as possible. Let’s make our lives better, one word at a time

©Copyright 2026 by Charles Kensinger

What Year is it for You?

January 1, 2023

2022 is over. What year is that for you? Did you have your first child? Is that event due later this year? Will you graduate from high school or college? Will this be a significant year that you can look on in the future and say, “I did this in 2023?”

We’ve heard how awful the last two or three years have been. Why? Did you die from Covid-19? I’m guessing you did not, or you would not be reading this. I’ve lost some dear friends in the last three years. Most were not from the pandemic.

What makes a year memorable or forgettable? I don’t remember the year I was born. My mother did. It was one of the hottest in history for my hometown. Let me share some good years with you. This is my point of view. Yours may not be the same.

1960 was the year I started school. Mrs. Jackson was my teacher that year. Alan Shepherd became the first American in space that same year. I began high school in ’68. The first decade I remember the end of was the 1960s. I also passed my first driving test in 1970.

I graduated from high school in 1972. That means my class had our 50th reunion last spring. High School was a time I remember as being fun and difficult at the same time. I was 14th in my graduating class. I just heard you say, “So, there were only 15 that graduated that year from your school.” We had over 300 graduates.

I wasn’t the best, but I made it out and into college the following fall. I graduated from there four years later. The best thing about 1976 wasn’t that I finished college. That was also the year I began my marriage. “A good year for you and a bad one for your wife.” I heard that.

1979 was a banner year for us. Our first daughter was born, and we both started new jobs. Cindy’s lasted until after our third daughter came along and we decided it was time she became a stay-at-home mom. Mine lasted 25 years when I decided it was time to make a change.

Each of those years was good because our family was comfortable, and we did not go through significantly rough years. Our three daughters all graduated high school and college and began their families. Which was the best year? Most would say it wasn’t 2009.

That was the year I was laid off from the best job I ever had. Why was it the best? I was doing what I enjoyed with people I liked at a company that treated me well. It was a good year because I began publishing columns while I was unemployed. God used that as a turning point in my life.

My health has taken a plunge in the last few years. My wife and I had Covid-19 in 2020 before it had been identified in the United States. We both survived. Cindy is going through the long haul with it. I have retired and find it easy to stay away from people and stay home with the dogs.

During the shutdown, my wife worked from home, and we helped with some of the grandkids when they could not be in school. We helped our daughter and son-in-law get their two oldest kids to school. Because of that, I can’t say the last three years have been bad for us.

Will this year be better or worse? It depends on how I want it to be. My attitude is what makes the difference. I plan on making it one of my best years ever. It can be one of yours also. Don’t let circumstances rule your life. Make what you do affect what happens this year.

©Copyright 2022 by Charles Kensinger