Composed in Baton Rouge, Louisiana-

You’d never know it from this photo of my mom and dad, but my mom was a negative person.  Please don’t think that I’m speaking badly of her now that she’s been deceased for 15 years.

Our family talked openly about this with her when she got into one of her frequent funks and when she had her nervous breakdown.

The truth is that mom had trouble looking at the bright side of things.  She wasn’t able to feel good even when her life was going well.  When mom contracted terminal lung cancer in 1992, she was forced to realize that those “negative” years would be the happiest days of her life.  Such a shame.

It’s also sad to read that many companies are cutting back on their 401ks or pulling out of them altogether.  Employees that could have enjoyed matching contributions to their savings for many years will not have that opportunity any longer.  That opportunity to save money might be the best financial opportunity they will ever see.

Anytime is a great time for resolutions and self-improvement, but The New Year is a great time to recognize the sound of opportunity knocking and be grateful for all the good stuff in your life.

Even with all the bad news of 2008, these are the best of times and 2009 will be even better.