New Year & Goals

It's a new year and one of my goals is to write more and to try to get published more. I was very proud to get my first feature story on Gwendolyn Zepeda published on skirt! Houston this week. I'm also still blogging on the national and local page pretty frequently.

I am going to write more and submit more in 2009. That is my writing goal, among many others. Goals always make me feel like I'm moving forward. That's what keeps me motivated. Lists of goals and lists in general. I have a daily "To Do" list and of course a yearly one too.

In addition to that, the beginning of a year also means another birthday for me in February. THE BIG 39 this time. I don't celebrate birthdays however it's like the beginning of a new year. I take stock of my life at that time and I may even revise the goals I made at the beginning of the year.

Yesterday, on the anniversary of my mom's death, but not because it was her anniversary, I made turkey. Ironically the last time and only time I ever made a turkey was right before she passed away. I made it because she didn't feel well enough to do it herself any more.

I didn't think about her when we were having the turkey, but now that I thought about it it's really funny that I made turkey on the anniversary of her death.

My mom raised me with a very healthy belief in death, so I think that's why I can see the irony and humor in the coincidence. I know that she's fine and resting now. I also believe that I will see her again one day and that makes it all okay.

On another note, check out the story by my cousin Oscar Casares in the December issue of Texas Monthly.