Another year is closing, and a new one is beginning. This year has been so different and has given all of us a new perspective on what is important. It has taught me to be thankful for the little things, the little blessings, the little miracles. It has showed me how much a simple smile, text or phone call can have such a huge impact.

I am hoping the with a new year comes new possibilities, less anxiety, and that we can continue to find the small things that bring us, and others, joy.

 

For New Year’s, I do not really make resolutions. I usually do not keep them, so I try not to make any. All I can say is that I hope to continue finding those little things. I hope to find the joy that is around me every day. To make the time to reach out and help others find their happy as well.

********

I have enjoyed getting out and wandering the Valley, finding the story, learning the history of this Gem we have in our own backyard. It is amazing how much history can be found around us. Sometimes I get to see more when I just drive around, instead of knowing a destination – or when I get lost trying to find my way. I see things, buildings, I have not seen before. Or I find buildings that I have not seen in years.

Both my parents’ families moved to the Valley because of agriculture. My dad’s family grew crops and my mom’s dad was a cotton ginner. Her mom ran the office at the cotton gin that used to be located at 3 Mile and Conway in Mission. My dad’s parents had acreage out in the McCook/Edinburg area where they grew peanuts, grain, corn, and so many other profitable crops.

I knew that history. I kind of always knew the basics. We learn a few more things as we go to school about the area we live in, and we learn more by participating in yearly celebrations. I learned a more in-depth history of the City of Mission, the city I grew up in, when I helped at the local newspaper. During its centennial celebration, we published a magazine honoring the founders of the city and how the city came to be.

I think if I ever did anything else, I would love to study history. I love learning about the beginning and knowing where we came from – Afterall, it helps us know where we are going too.

I invite you to learn about your home. To learn to love it in a different perspective. It truly brings a different appreciation for where you are, where you call home.

As I learn more about this Rio Grande Valley, I have developed a new love for it that I do not think I had before. It is different and I look forward to learning so much more about my Valley throughout the rest of the season.