Happy New Year, friends, readers, and fellow writers!

I always love the anticipation January 1 brings with it. Fresh starts, new beginnings, hopefully closing the book on whatever pain or hardship the previous year wrought. I stopped making firm resolutions many years ago, but it never stops me from wanting to be better going into the new year. Be healthier, be happier, be steadier.

2016 seemed to be a terrible year all around for so many people. For me, it was actually a pretty good year on...